Vaults and Villains
by WonderFloof
Summary: A powerful new akuma engulfs College Francoise Dupont, transporting the students into a "Dungeons and Dragons"-style realm. The students must use their wits, their newly-acquired skills, and teamwork to defeat the "boss" and escape the dungeon. Luckily, Chat Noir and Ladybug are there to help! This story is based on a concept provided by May 16 writer and Bluebelle Author 1600
1. A Villain Awakens

_Author's note: This story is based on the combined creative genius of May_16_writer and Bluebell_Author_1600! The premise belongs to them :) Enjoy!_

* * *

Chapter 1:

Max Kanté's fingers flew furiously over the calculator as he peered at the figurines placed atop the large, gridded map that lay spread out on the desk before him. The library made for the perfect meeting spot to strategize their next move, and luckily the group of friends all had study hall at the same time. "If we adopt this strategically advantageous formation, our chances of successfully averting the Beholder's attacks long enough to awaken the princess are approximately 34.8%... at which point our odds of survival should improve significantly thanks to her healing capabilities… theoretically."

Ethan Szerzo grinned, causing a mischievous sparkle to glint across his sea-blue eyes, peering out from under a mess of deep brown hair. "Don't forget, you still have to roll against your charm to break the sleeping curse too!"

Max groaned at this, but a wide smile captured his face. "The complexities of this campaign are truly remarkable Ethan. I must say, your acumen at the role of Vault Master is quite impressive."

Kim stared at the map with a puzzled expression. Picking up a figurine shaped like an ax-wielding barbarian, he placed it a few inches in front of the others, in the middle of the map-depicted room. "I still think I should just run in swinging! Fortis is the toughest, fastest fighter _ever_ , I could totally take down a floating blob, no problem."

Max shook his head. "Don't you remember what happened last time?"

Ethan suppressed a chuckle remembering that the baddie protecting the room, a Beholder, had petrified Kim's character with its stare and eaten him before he could get off a single strike. Of course, Max had used a Mystic Hourglass item to go back in time to before they entered the deadly chamber, bringing Kim's character, Fortis, back to life. Max knew Kim well enough to have stocked up on the items before starting the campaign.

Kim's face turned into a pout. "Yeah but… what are the chances that'll happen again?"

Max opened his mouth to speak, but Kim cut him off. "Nevermind, don't answer that!"

"Well, at least you made it to the third level and found the princess!" Ethan held up the thick notebook titled "The Master Manual: Vault of Dreamless Sleep," printed elegantly in his own careful script. It was adorned with colored tabs sticking out every which way from various pages and bulging with extra papers that had been carefully folded into it. Pointing to one of the tabs with his finger, he indicated their position in his carefully-constructed campaign. "That's about half-way, I would say!"

Glancing over curiously at the intricately detailed, hand-drawn dungeon map and the small figurines, Adrien's interest was piqued. It looked like some sort of elaborate game, but he had never seen anything like it before.

"Hey guys," he greeted the small group hesitantly. Adrien still felt awkward starting conversations with just about anyone besides Nino, especially a group of people. He was woefully unaccustomed to social situations, and couldn't shake the feeling that he was intruding. Still, he plastered on a friendly smile, trying not to appear as stiff as he felt. "Is that… some kind of game?"

"Oh! Hello Adrien!" Max returned the smile, hiding his sense of surprise that the most popular kid in school seemed to be taking an interest in their game. "It is indeed 'some kind of game.' More specifically, it's called Vaults and Villains, a table-top, party-based, adventure role-playing game!"

"Table-top role-playing?" Adrien stared at the game materials with fascination, his nervousness forgotten. He was certainly no stranger to RPGs… living the life of a shut-in, he had acquainted himself well with that particular genre of video games. However, the only games he ever played were single-player. He was a particular fan of the Last Legacy series, having recently finished the newest release "Last Legacy 15." That one had struck a familiar nerve with him, as an inseparable group of friends explore the world while on a mission to save it. He strongly associated with one character: born to be a test subject for experiments conducted by his father, he had escaped his terrible destiny to meet and bond with the others. The striking physical resemblance he bore to the character was actually a little uncanny.** He was so drawn to the idea of escaping his father's demands and living his own life with his own friends, he had finished the entire game in the span of a few days.

Kim nodded. "Max got me into it, it's actually really fun! You create your character and fight alongside the other players to try to explore the whole dungeon. You have to solve puzzles and fight stuff, getting stronger as you go. The coolest part is, you can do whatever you want! If you decide you want your character to attack a dragon with your shoe, you can do it!" He paused. "Although… I wouldn't recommend it. It doesn't turn out well."

Adrien's brow furrowed. "But… how? How can the game adapt like that?" Glancing at the mostly-empty map, he added, "And where are all the monsters and stuff?"

"Oh my, how rude of me!" Max stood quickly. "Adrien, have I introduced you to Ethan? He's new here. We met in chess club, and after it came up in conversation that he played Vaults and Villains too, we became fast friends. Ethan, this is Adrien Agreste!"

Ethan stood politely, placing the manual on the desk and offering his hand in greeting. "Hi, Ethan Szerzo, nice to meet you."

Adrien shook his hand. "Hey, I'm Adrien. Great to meet you too!"

"In answer to your question, Adrien, the _how_ is all Ethan!" Max continued. "You see, each game is written and run by a Vault Master. He or she designs all the dungeons, places the traps, monsters, and treasures, and essentially functions as everything besides the players themselves. Your chance of success in each action, say, attacking a monster with your sword, is determined by a dice roll. Essentially high numbers are successful and low numbers miss or backfire. Enemies, controlled by the Vault Master, function similarly."

Kim nodded again. "There are monsters and stuff laid out in the game manuals, but when your Vault Master is crazy good like Ethan you end up coming across all kinds of wild stuff. Like that cursed room we had to walk backward through!"

Ethan laughed at this. "You guys fought through that room 4 times before you realized it was the same room over and over!"

Max and Kim both grinned sheepishly.

"I used to play this game with my older brother and his friends all the time before he left for college," Ethan explained. "Eventually it got repetitious, so I started designing my own content. I had so much fun coming up with new challenges and secrets it sort of became a hobby. That notebook," Ethan gestured to the manual on the table, "contains the entire campaign; every secret, monster, treasure, and trap. It took a few months to work out, but it's absolutely worth it to share the game with friends!"

As the three boys exchanged appreciative grins, Adrien felt a pang of jealousy. This is what normal life was like, the normal life that he wanted: friends, hanging out, having fun, sharing a common interest. "That's awesome, Ethan! It looks like you did a really good job too!" Adrien complimented.

"Thanks, Adrien!" Ethan replied, his smile growing. "You know, this might be a little forward of me, but there's always room for more in a game like this, if you're interested in joining us?" He gestured to an empty seat at the table.

Adrien gave a genuine smile at the offer. "I would really like that! Go easy on me though, OK?"

* * *

Marinette sighed as she stared across the room at the table of boys in the far corner. Kim, Max, and Max's friend Ethan were discussing a tabletop game they played together, and judging by the expression on his face, it looked like Adrien was enthralled by it. _If only he would show that sort of interest in me…._ The blackette mused dreamily. She could ask to play, but Marinette was more of a fighting-game type of gamer. Although, she _had_ really enjoyed Last Legacy 7, and had even replayed it a few times… and not _only_ because of the bright-eyed, blond-haired main character that may or may not have reminded her or a certain someone.

"…and that's when I lit the whole building on fire and flew off into the sunset." Alya concluded her sentence with nonsense, recognizing the absent, glassy stare in her best friend's eyes as she pined for her pretty boy crush. When the doe-eyed girl didn't respond ( _as Alya knew she wouldn't_ ), Alya poked her in the ribs.

"EEEP!" Marinette yelped in surprise, causing all the heads in the library to turn her way. Attempting to hide behind her tiny handbag as her face flushed with crimson, Marinette finally regarded her friend.

"Girl, are you even listening to me?" Alya asked.

"Of course! I- …I, um… well maybe not the last…" Marinette recognized the victorious grin of her friend and knew she had been caught. "OK no. Sorry!"

Alya just giggled. "It's OK, I know better than anyone about your, _ahem_ , distraction." she glanced pointedly in Adrien's direction.

Marinette sighed again, shaking her head, but a small smile played on her lips. "I know, I'm hopeless!"

The focus of the library shifted again as a loud screech interrupted the hushed whispers of the room.

"ADRIKENS!" Chloe Bourgeois burst into the library, over-priced venti mocha in hand and designer purse in the crook of her elbow, with the red-headed Sabrina trailing close behind. "I just _knew_ Daddy could talk some sense into that principal to put us in the same Study Hall! I mean, who needs Home Ec anyway? That's what they make _maids_ for!" the blonde declared to nobody in particular as she strode over to the boys' table.

Adrien stood, turning to face the obnoxious girl. "Chloe, quiet down!" he whispered loudly, eyes darting to the stern-faced librarian who seemed to be mentally calculating the pros and cons of admonishing the behavior of the mayor's daughter.

Ignoring his words, Chloe threw her arms around Adrien's shoulders, squealing with glee as he begrudgingly tolerated the hug. Noticing the table, Chloe squished her face together. "What is all this junk?" she asked, gesturing.

Max sighed before answering, as if he knew she didn't really care but his pretenseless mind still felt it necessary to answer the question. "It's 'Vaults and Villains,' a table-top, party-based, adventure role-playing game."

Chloe snorted. "A what now? Oh look Sabrina, they drew a crappy picture of a dungeon and put little dolls in it! Congratulations guys, you just found a whole new level of _loser!_ "

Taking her cue, Sabrina laughed from her place at Chloe's side.

Embarrassed, Ethan looked down, a light blush creeping to his face. Kim, too, seemed ashamed, pushing his chair back slightly to distance himself from the table. Noticing this, Adrien glared daggers at the inconsiderate blonde.

Max, however, was not so easily defeated. Pushing his rectangular glasses up his nose and closing his eyes, he stated matter-of-factly, "Not only is the game enjoyable, but it encourages strategy, adaptive reasoning, intuition, and comradery. Such pursuits demand a certain level of intelligence, so we wouldn't expect you to understand the appeal of a tactical dungeon crawler." Max's grin at his insult grew when he opened his eyes to see the confused expression on Chloe's face.

After a beat, Chloe waved her hand in the air dismissively. "More like a tacti-total waste of time. Seriously, get a life!" Making a show of pinching her nose in disgust, Chloe unceremoniously dumped the entire contents of her steaming venti mocha double shot extra whip concoction on the table, the dark, sticky drink quickly engulfing the map and splashing over Ethan's Master Manual.

All four guys jumped up with a gasp as the entire library gaped. Ethan snatched his treasured notebook from the sticky brown puddle, but not before its pages had begun to drink up the liquid. He could tell by the dark tint dotting the edges of the pages that the inked writing inside had already begun to run.

Marinette was on her feet in an instant, grabbing the handful of napkins she had wrapped Tikki's cookies in from her purse. From the way all 4 boys were staring at the notebook in Ethan's hands, she knew this particular item was important. She quickly dabbed the book, squeezing the pages gently and willing the napkins to work magic.

"MISS BOURGEOIS!" The librarian was storming over to the table now, Mayor's wrath be damned. "You will clean this mess up at _once_ , apologize to these boys, and proceed immediately to the principal's office!"

"Ugh! _Clean,_ me? You must be joking!" Chloe replied indignantly.

Retrieving cleaning supplies from the cabinet, the librarian shoved them toward the blonde girl. "Don't worry, I'll call your father _myself_ and tell him what happened!" Leaving the supplies with the dumbstruck girl, the librarian returned to her desk and picked up the phone.

As Chloe stood unmoving, Marinette plucked the roll of paper towels from her hand, ripped off a large length, and returned the roll to her. Returning to the table, she turned her attention to the map, absorbing what she could of the mess with the hope that the map could be salvaged. She jumped as she felt a hand brush hers. Glancing to her side, she saw Adrien blink at her, blushing slightly as he reached for some of the paper towels to help.

"Heh, uhh… thank you, Marinette, for helping." He said with a soft smile before setting to work on the map.

Her heart fluttered in her chest as an absent grin stretched across her face. She had intended to say 'You're welcome,' or maybe 'No problem!' but having forgotten how, she simply continued pressing paper towels into the sticky mess.

Taking in the wide-eyed look of horror on his friend's face, Max cleared his throat. "You know, Ethan, I believe that we could recreate the map with a high degree of accuracy. The grid pattern allowed for rather simple memorization of the patterns and locations. I would be happy to help."

Adrien chimed in. "I'd like to help too! I can at least help with the coloring and stuff, and you can teach me how to play while we work!"

Unfortunately the boys' reassurances did little to calm Ethan who, with tremulous hands, had begun to page through his soggy notebook. The pages stuck together and were tinted a sickly brown with blotches of blue, black, and red where the pen marks had run. His colorful tabs indicating important events, characters, and items had begun to curl. Tears welling in his pain-stricken eyes, Ethan clutched the book to his chest and ran from the room.

Adrien's eyes glanced at this ring just as Marinette's flitted to her purse where Tikki still hid, each of them fearing what such negative emotions might bring.

* * *

Slamming the bathroom door shut behind him, Ethan grabbed towel after towel from the dispenser, delicately placing a towel between each of the pages of his treasured notebook containing several months of work. When his shaking fingers accidentally tore one of the soggy pages, he let out a wail as if he had torn a part of himself. Not only was his work lost, but through the game, he had finally made friends for the first time since moving to France. Without his brother around, he had been horribly lonely. Now, without the game, he would be alone again. Just a lonely loser… and it was all _her_ fault _. Chloe…_ Rage began to overtake his sorrow as a pink, glowing outline of a moth appeared before his face.

"Vault Master," a disembodied voice called in a slow, purposeful tone. "My name is Hawkmoth. I have come to offer you a _new_ game. I will grant you your Vault to command, complete with all your villains and challenges, but I ask for something in return."

Ethan raised his head, listening. "What is it, Hawkmoth? What can a Vault Master offer?"

"I believe that my nemeses, Ladybug and Chat Noir, are likely students in that school. I will give you the entire school as your domain, if you agree to retrieve their miraculouses for me when they show up to fight you. Unless you don't think your dungeon is up to the challenge?" the silver-masked villain goaded.

Ethan grinned fiendishly. "Even seasoned players can't get past my third level, and there are no items this time around. They won't even pose a challenge. Let's play, Hawkmoth."

The panicked screams of students echoed through the hallway as a purple-black energy began to engulf the school. Neither having time to react, Adrien caught Marinette's startled eyes as the roiling cloud flooded into the library. Without thinking, he reflexively drew her into his chest in a protective hug, moments before the dark energy engulfed them both.

* * *

 _A/N: **Last Legacy is meant to mirror Final Fantasy; Adrien is relating to Prompto from Final Fantasy XV. Points if you caught it ;)_


	2. The Adventure Begins

Chapter 2:

Adrien blinked as his eyes struggled to adjust to the darkness. As his surroundings came into view, the first thing he noticed was the bars: thick, heavy, and partially rusted, the iron bars closed off the only open wall to the small room… or rather the small _cell_ , that he was in. Almost immediately afterward, he realized he was trapped in the cell _alone_.

"Marinette?" he called into the darkness. The dim, flickering light provided by the torch mounted to the stone wall outside the cell revealed a broken weapon rack leaning against the wall, but did little to penetrate the darkness that stretched beyond. Just before the dark cloud had swallowed them both, he had had the sudden urge to protect his kind, soft-spoken classmate. Now, even before he had properly assessed his own circumstances, he worried for her. "Marinette?!" he called again, gripping the bars and peering out, straining to make out some sign of her.

When his calls were met with silence, he paused a moment, trying to calm his mounting anxiety. Why were his thoughts so consumed with her? Sure they were friends, but of all the people in the school who were likely in trouble, his concerns were firmly with her. _Must be the hero in me!_ He mused. _She is my "Princess," after all. Maybe it's part of the dungeon's magic?_ Something inside him scoffed at that explanation, but he chose to ignore it.

 _Think, Adrien. You're a super hero, you can figure this out. Escape the cell, save the princess… Chat Noir to the rescue!_

It wasn't until he reached for his shirt to free Plagg that he realized his clothing had changed. His striped black tee and white button down with the kwami's hidden pocket were gone, replaced by an off-white linen shirt with an open collar lacking buttons or laces. His go-to jeans and Converse were now well-worn, soft leather pants that were a deep brown color, with brown leather boots that came up to his mid-calf. The studded leather belt he wore was adorned with extra straps angling down his left thigh, seemingly meant to hold a sword but currently empty. His growing panic assuaged a bit when he noticed that the familiar silver ring remained in place on his right hand and Plagg floated out from inside his open shirt. The cat kwami looked just as confused as Adrien felt.

"Plagg! What happened? Is this… some sort of akuma?" Adrien asked, still trying to process his strange attire and bleak surroundings.

Plagg flew around the cell in amazement. "Look at this!" that cat-god exclaimed. "It's like a blast from the past! I would say definitely the work of an akuma, and a strong one at that. Did it send us back in time or something? This looks like a medieval dungeon!"

Adrien tapped his chin thoughtfully, recalling the events leading up to his current predicament. "Actually, I don't think we're back in time… I think we've been trapped in a role-playing game!"

Plagg blinked. "Huh." He didn't know much about 'role-playing games,' but he had seen Adrien play video games where the character fought his way out of dungeons like this. The kid was pretty good at them, actually. "Well this should be right up your alley then. Do your thing!"

Holding his arms out and looking pointedly at his clothing, Adrien sighed. "Seems like I'm a swordsman of some kind, but there's not much I can do with basic starting gear and no weapon. I can't even get out of this _cell_." _Let alone save my Princess_ he silently added.

Plagg grinned. " _You_ can't, Swordless Wonder, but Chat Noir can!"

Adrien's eyes lit up. "Oh, of course! Plagg, claws out!"

* * *

Marinette's eyes, wide open in surprise thanks to Adrien's unexpected embrace, perceived a momentary flash of light as the dark power had swallowed them, followed by a flickering darkness reminiscent of the effect after a bright camera flashed in a dark room. Only moments after she had felt his strong arms pull her against his chest, Adrien had vanished, causing her to pitch forward a bit where she had been leaning into him.

Stumbling forward and throwing her left arm in front of her face to break her would-be fall, Marinette's vision was again filled with light as a glowing disc, about the diameter of the forearm it appeared to be attached to, appeared.

"Whoa!" she exclaimed to the empty room, waving the arm (and the strange glowing disc) around in front of her, as if trying to shake it off. _It looks kind of like…_ The light emanating from the magical object allowed her to surveille it easily despite the dim lighting. Wait… _It IS a shield! And it's… glowing?_

Just as she was about to inspect it closer, her frazzled panic calming to curious interest, the small shield vanished, leaving her exposed forearm bare.

 _Huh? Wait a second…_ What had happened to her jacket? Finally looking down at herself, Marinette's jaw dropped.

The unornate iron chestplate covered her breasts well enough, but little else: the shaped metal was held on by leather straps wrapping around her back and neck, and barely extended past her sternum. The tattered, single-shoulder red cloth underneath that she couldn't in her right mind even call a "shirt" didn't help much either. Her long, billowing white skirt would have provided decent coverage to her bottom half, at least, were it not for the matching slits over each leg that stretched all the way to her hips. The front section of the skirt, she noticed, was considerably shorter, tapering into a V shape that ended just above her knees. The deep red color of her over-the-knee boots that matched her, _ahem_ , "shirt" was partially obscured by armored greaves, made of the same dull, grey metal that her breastplate was. The outfit was completed by a belt comprised of plates of the various metals linked together, sitting low on her hips, the purpose of which she could not discern.

 _WHAT THE ACTUAL EFF WAS SHE WEARING?_

It looked like some crazy hybrid between a priestess, a knight, and a stripper. Or the Halloween version of a "warrior princess." _I mean honestly, what's the point of wearing armor that leaves your entire midriff exposed?! But hey, at least my shins are safe!_ It was like some teenage boy's fantasy of –

 _OOOOH._ Suddenly it all made sense.

 _No, it wasn't "like" a teenage boy's fantasy of a female warrior-priestess. It WAS a teenage boy's fantasy of a female warrior-priestess!_ This was the work of an akuma, no doubt about it, whose power had brought to life the fantasy game that Chloe had so thoughtlessly destroyed… and she had been trapped in the miasma.

Besides the obvious over-abundance of exposed skin, there was another massive problem with her current wardrobe: warrior-princess chic did not come with a purse.

"Tikki?" Marinette called in a hushed whisper. It didn't take long for Marinette to discern that her empty cell, with its dirt floor, stone walls, and thick iron bars, did not contain her purse either. "Tikki, where are you?!"

"Whoop!" a victorious cry echoed through the cavernous room, followed by a loud _clank_.

"Hello?! Anybody there?" she called louder.

She could see a glow spark to life on the far end of the room. The fire of a small torch lit the countenance of a small creature, maybe three feet tall and dressed in a long robe, his face mostly hidden by a stylized mustache and long beard. Tufts of hair stuck almost straight up from behind large ears, resembling horns. As he approached, the creature's strange appearance was less shocking than the fact that his torch was not a torch at all: his right hand, held out in front of him, was entirely engulfed in flame. The humanoid creature did not seem affected however, his expression revealing no hint of pain.

Suddenly realizing her extremely vulnerable state, Marinette felt a rush of adrenaline, the glowing shield materializing again on her left forearm. Standing her ground in the middle of the cell, she brought the glowing shield in front of her defensively. _When you're trapped in a jail cell, "Fight or Flight" is reduced to only one option._ But she would not go down easily. "What do you want, you…you fire gremlin!"

The figure stopped inches in front of the cell bars. "Marinette?! Is that _you?!"_

The girl blinked, lowering her shield slightly but not abandoning it completely. "Uhhh… yes?"

The creature grinned, the mirth evident in his eyes giving him a jovial appearance despite the fact that his hand remained aflame. "Fire gremlin?" The creature laughed. "I'll have you know, I am a _gnome sorcerer_. Fire gremlins are demonic creatures that can only exist in volcanic environments. They could never survive in a vault as dark and dank as this!"

Her shield vanished as she recognized his voice. "Oh my gosh, _Max?!_ "

The creature bowed a greeting. "In this world, I am the gnome sorcerer known as Xantemak… or Xan for short. It's an anagram of my name, you see?" Taking in the girl's perplexed expression, Max twirled his mustache absently with his non-flaming hand as he would have usually adjusted his glasses. "I suppose 'Max' is less confusing."

Marinette stared at him with wide eyes. "H-how… your hand is on fire!"

Max regarded the flames as though their presence was nothing out of the ordinary. "Oh… this is just a simple torch spell! Entry-level fire magic. I suppose it would be rather unusual to behold for a novice, though." Swiping his free hand around the flames several times, Max gathered them into a glowing ball. Then, as if releasing a balloon, he set the fiery sphere into the air, where it began to float around him like a small orbiting sun. "Does this ease your trepidation?"

If anything, Marinette was only more awestruck. "That's amazing! How do you do that?!"

Twirling his mustache again, Max grinned. "I imagine much the same way as you summon your magic shield, Cleric, except I have had considerably more practice in the wielding of magic."

 _Magic shield? Cleric?_ Marinette's mind raced to fit the pieces together as Max watched her with amusement. _Inexperienced at wielding magic my ass! If only you knew…_

"So wait…" Marinette finally asked. "You mean I'm the stupid _healer?!_ "

Max shook his head briskly. "The Cleric class far is too complex to be reduced to… 'the healer.'" He had paused momentarily before "the healer," loathe to repeat her chosen adjective as if he found its use to describe the class distasteful. "The Cleric is an armored leader class: their role is defensive and supportive. True, almost all clerics can heal to some extent assuming their alignment allows them access to the holy arts, but they are versatile combatants with considerable power. Spontaneous casting for example, with which you have already become familiar, is a unique and very useful trait."

"Spontaneous huh? So… you're saying that shield will just appear when I need it?" Marinette questioned the gaming veteran.

"Precisely!" he replied, a note of pride in his new pupil audible in his voice.

Marinette smiled despite her situation. _OK, that is pretty cool..._ "Alright. Are there any cleric skills I should be aware of that might, say… unlock a jail cell?"

"Not precisely 'cleric skills,' no," came his elusive reply. Digging into the long, draping sleeves of his robe, Max pulled out what appeared to be two long, iron nails. "But luckily for us, gnomes are naturally adept at toolmaking, and a lockpick tends to do the trick!" Grinning ear-to-ear with an air of hauteur, the bearded gnome began fumbling with the lock to her cell.

* * *

"Are you kidding me?!" Chat Noir stood in the middle of his cell, taking in his newly transformed figure.

His transformation did not grant him the fitted leather suit to which he was accustomed, but rather shabby black cloth pants tucked into black leather boots and a thick leather vest tied snugly to his chest. His cat ears were hidden by a draping hood, which cast a shadow over his eyes that hid his mask, the cloth gathering and falling over his collarbones like a cowl. A complex array of straps crisscrossed over his leather-clad chest, holding multiple sheaths and pouches likely intended to hold throwing weapons. Reaching behind his back, the clasp in the small of his back that had held his staff was replaced by twin dagger sheaths arranged in an "X," which were currently empty.

"I already knew I had a 'roguish' charm, but this might be taking it a step too far!" Chat grinned at his own joke, unconcerned that he didn't have an audience.

Silence hanging heavily in the air, he shrugged. "Well, here goes nothing… Cataclysm!"

Thrusting his right hand into the air, he was relieved to see the familiar black sphere of energy appear. Clutching it in his fist, he pulled it down, causing the energy to explode in a purple-black wave. As the shock wave dissipated, it left behind a swirling black power emanating from his right hand.

"At least some things never change!" he stated triumphantly, slamming his flattened palm into the door of the jail cell. Immediately it began to rust and fall away, leaving a large hole in the previously impenetrable barricade. Whistling a victorious tune, Chat stepped through the hole with an exaggerated stride, heading straight for the dilapidated weapon rack. "Well, well… what do we have here?"

Searching though the old junk, he was pleased to find a pair of wicked-looking daggers, plain but sharp, and in decent condition. He slid them into the sheaths at his back. Standing straight again, he practiced retrieving them a few times. While it was a bit strange to brandish weapons in _both_ hands, the move felt familiar enough that he could deftly equip himself with ease.

A warning beep from his ring reminded him that his current form, while now equipped with a weapon, was only temporary. Releasing Plagg and reverting to his brown-toned ensemble, he dug through the mess of mostly-ruined weapons again.

Pulling a broad sword from the splintered rack, Adrien held it toward the torchlight for inspection. A weary Plagg turned his nose up at it.

"How exactly are you supposed to fight with that? It so clunky and awkward. We cats are agile creatures after all, a weapon like that would just weigh us down!" the kwami declared.

Adrien had to admit, Plagg had a point. The weapon was large and heavy, and felt cumbersome in one hand. When he attempted to perform a basic fencing thrust, the momentum of the weighty sword caused him to lurch off balance. He tried holding the weapon with both hands, but the closed stance felt unnatural to him, completely different than his well-practiced fencing stance. With a sigh, he discarded the unwieldy sword and returned to the rack once more.

He caught a glint of metal from something sitting atop the rack, barely visible peaking over the edge of the collapsing shelf. Reaching up, his hands first found a thick layer of dust and dirt, and then… thin, cold steel. Grasping the object, he pulled it down.

The weapon was a long, thin rapier, complete with a simple metal guard. Unlike the larger sword, this one felt familiar and light in his hand. He performed a few thrusts and parries with adept dexterity and finesse. _Perfect!_

Sliding the weapon into the sheath at his hip, Adrien reached behind his back to retrieve a dagger to use as a main gauche, but was disappointed to find that the twin weapons had disappeared with Chat Noir's other accessories. _Ah well… just have to do without it for now I suppose!_ He thought, thankful to have found the weapons he had.

Plagg settled warily on the boy's shoulder as Adrien mused aloud. "So I'm a fencer as Adrien and a rogue as Chat Noir… that makes sense, I suppose."

"Correction," the exhausted cat-god piped up, raising one tiny paw into the air to accentuate his statement. "You _were_ a rogue as Chat Noir. Kitty will not be coming out to play until certain needs are met. Certain _sustenance-related_ needs."

Adrien rolled his eyes. "Are you seriously telling me that if I need to fight as a rogue or _die_ that you won't transform me?!"

"It's not a _won't_ as much as a _can't_ , kid." Plagg replied with annoyance. "I'm not some endless font of energy you know!"

"Fine, fine." Adrien raised his hands defensively. "I'll try to find you something for you to eat, but you might just have to settle for something other than camembert. Just try to stay hidden in the meantime, OK?"

Plagg grinned slightly at the prospect of food. "Desperate times, kid!" he called, disappearing into Adrien's shirt again.

 _Desperate times indeed_ , Adrien thought. He had successfully escaped the cell and managed to equip himself with weapons, but he was still inexperienced and had no idea what dangers might lie ahead. All he knew was that somewhere, Marinette was trapped here too, all because she had tried to help a kid she barely knew. He would find his friend, his _Princess_ , and get her out of this place safely, no matter what it took.

Grabbing the torch from the wall and venturing into the darkness, Adrien steeled his nerves to face what was to come. _Don't do anything stupid and get yourself killed, Agreste. One step at a time. She's counting on you._ And the adventure was only just beginning.


	3. First Encounter

Chapter 3:

As Adrien stepped out into the dark hallway, he was overcome with the sense that the black emptiness of the dungeon was, in fact, anything _but_ empty. Hints of movement teased his peripheral vision as the sounds of skittering creatures seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere. It was as if the darkness itself was alive. A shiver wiggled up his spine. For a moment, he actually considered asking Plagg to come out and keep him company, but thought better of it on the off chance that he managed to find some of his classmates… which he truly hoped he would. And soon.

 _One foot in front of the other, you can do this…_

Thrusting the torch out in front of him, he investigated the large chamber. More cells, similar to the one he had been trapped in, lined the walls. A large wooden door on the opposite wall seemed to be the room's only entry point. He tried each of the cell doors, but found them all locked. He came upon one that contained a skeleton slumped against the bars, its tattered rags hanging from the decaying bones. He pondered it. If he reached through the bars, he could search the body for anything useful. That's _exactly_ what he would have done in a video game, but the thought of _actually_ rifling through a decaying corpse repulsed him.

 _Worse yet, the thing might come alive and attack!_ He realized. This was a dungeon, after all. Zombies were a distinct possibility.

With his face pinched in disgust, he extended his rapier through the bars and gave the lifeless form a tentative poke.

The head of the creature lulled to the side, its jaw dropping open in mocked surprise. Adrien leapt back, his nerves on edge. Just as he was about to chide himself for his skittishness, the skeleton crumbled to dust, revealing two beetle-like creatures, almost two feet in length each, their wickedly sharp, serrated mandibles chittering with annoyance that their hiding place had been destroyed. After a moment, one of the monster bugs dashed toward the shadows of the far corner of the cell. To his horror, the other headed straight for him, hissing angrily.

The creature's speed was incredible; its legs moving in a flurry of activity, in an instant it stood before Adrien and reared to attack, still spitting angry hisses as it clamped its mouthparts threateningly. Despite the fact that he still held his rapier in his right hand, Adrien was caught off-guard. Stumbling backward, his instinctively waved the torch that he held aloft to fend off the creature.

The torch thrust in its shining black eyes, the creature screamed. The sound was a shrill screech, like nails raking across a chalkboard. Attempting to change direction quickly, the giant bug's legs tangled, causing it to pitch sideways. Taking advantage of opportunity, Adrien stabbed at the creature, but his blade deflected off its hard carapace leaving barely a scratch. All six legs on the ground again, the giant roach-thing skittered around Adrien, attempting to flank him, and prepared to attack again.

 _It doesn't like the fire!_ Adrien realized. That's why the other one had run. This one, it seemed, was hungry enough to brave an attack, but was still wary. Pivoting to face the creature, his rapier at the ready, Adrien extended his left hand outward and toward the ground. The creature tensed.

 _That's it… right here..._ Adrien willed himself to relax into his practiced ready stance.

The creature charged, flinging itself through the air to attack him from the right side and avoid the threat of the torch. Adrien was ready. He lunged, thrusting the rapier toward the soft underbelly of the creature. The long, delicate blade penetrated the creature, running it straight through like a giant, disgusting shish kabob and spilling slimy bug-juice over his extended arm.

 _KSHREEEKK!_ That god-awful scream again. The momentum of the creature carried it to the ground, forcing Adrien's rapier with it. It landed on its back, thrashing wildly, its jointed legs flailing. Wincing, Adrien put one booted foot on the creature's abdomen, those twitching legs flicking around his knee, to wrench his sword free. Keeping the creature pinned underfoot, he drove the sword down again, this time at the juncture of the head and the abdomen.

As the frenzied legs slowed to a stop, Adrien sighed in relief, grimacing at the slime dripping from his arm. _That was, by far, the most disgusting thing I have ever done_. The blond whispered a silent prayer of thanks to the game gods as the oily bug innards dissolved with the rest of the defeated creature, leaving behind one large, thick leg.

For a moment, Adrien pondered taking the bug leg with him. Although he had no idea what he would do with it, loot was loot, after all. Just as he was about to sheath his rapier again, he heard a male voice bellow from the next room.

"HEE-YAH!" the voice called from behind the large wooden door, followed by a muted _clunk_. "Dammit! Hold still, you little punks! OW! _Shit_!"

Adrien recognized the voice. "Kim?!" Running to the end of the room, Adrien threw his shoulder into the heavy door, forcing it open.

* * *

"Et… Voila!" with an audible clunk, the cell door lock disengaged and swung open. Secreting the crude tools back into his sleeves, Max grinned triumphantly.

"Yes! Max, you're awesome! Thank you!" Marinette was overjoyed to be free of the small, dank cell.

"You are quite welcome," the gnome sorcerer replied. "We are fortunate to have landed in the same cellblock. When Kim and I played this campaign, we had to fight through several rooms alone before we united as a party."

Marinette perked at this. "You mean there are other spawn points?! With other players?"

Max smirked. "I can confirm that there is at least one more potential starting area: another cell block on the far end of the corridor, past the hallway leading to the next section. I only know because I spawned there last time!" He shuddered with recollection. "I vividly recall that that particular location not only lacked allies, but contained enemies. Thankfully Depth Roaches are weak against fire, but I do not envy a physical fighter unfortunate enough to find themselves in that position. Their carapaces are nigh impenetrable."

Marinette glanced around the room worriedly. "There were enemies in the _first_ _room_?"

Max nodded solemnly. "There is a 20% chance that the creatures will not attack if left undisturbed, but if they do…" Max shook his head. "But we have nothing to worry about! I have every confidence that you can hold them off long enough for me to get a spell off, even considering our paltry experience."

Marinette wasn't so sure. _Did it have to be roaches?_ She would feel much more confident if she could find Tikki… or at least a _weapon_.

"Anyway, I believe our next course of action should be to investigate the other cell blocks rather than continue into the vault. I believe some of our classmates may have been transported here as well… at the very least Kim and Adrien, who were in close proximity to the two of us. We will have much better odds of survival with a larger party."

 _Adrien?!_ Marinette's face flushed with heat as she shyly crossed her arms in front of her mostly-exposed body, the metal plates of the breastplate and belt pressing cool spots into her bare arms, drawing her attention to the expanse of skin between them that wasn't covered at all. There was no way in hell she could face him looking like this, she was practically naked! Then again, Marinette's purse, and Tikki with it, had been in _very_ close proximity to her, literally at her hip. If the kwami was transported elsewhere in the dungeon, there was a chance Marinette could find her and face this akuma properly, as Ladybug. Biting her bottom lip, Marinette nodded toward Max in agreement. _Maybe it won't be so bad_. After all, Max seemed completely unfazed by the erotic nature of her costume. _But… don't I_ want _Adrien to notice me… that way?_ Her blush deepened.

"You needn't be nervous Marinette. You've shown quite the aptitude for your class with your ability to summon your shield at level one. You must innately have very high Constitution and Charisma! Adding that to your quick thinking and reflexes demonstrated at the Ultimate Mecha Strike III competition, I surmise that you will be quite the asset to the party," Max encouraged, misreading the girl's uneasiness. He paused. "Besides… a lone sorcerer tends not to fair very well. They refer to us as glass cannons for a reason."

Marinette smiled at him reassuringly, nodding again with more conviction. "Of course Max, I would never send you out there alone! We can do this!" Out of habit, she struck a Ladybug-esque pose, her hands balled into fists and elbows thrust back.

"YES!" The diminutive sorcerer leapt into the air with glee. "We shall be victorious!"

Marinette's bravado slacked considerably when the pair opened the first door to be greeted by three pairs of beady yellow eyes, glaring at them from the darkness. With a wave of his hand, Max directed his magical floating torchlight into the room before them, revealing the figures of three rats the size of house-cats nibbling at a decaying pile of lord-knows-what, their worm-like tails slithering behind them. The animals watched them tentatively, making no move to advance or retreat.

Wasting no time, Max began to conjure, his hands glowing red like hot steel. Taking his cue, Marinette took a step in front of him, assuming a defensive stance and calling the glowing shield to her forearm.

"Don't approach them yet Marinette. Their tightly grouped formation makes them vulnerable to area of effect skills. Just let me concentrate a moment…" Max's voice faded out from behind Marinette as the glow from his magic grew in intensity.

She nodded, watching the creatures intently. As she stood guard, she felt a familiar power coursing through her, something that was both herself and something greater. _It reminds me of the first time Tikki transformed me into Ladybug._ She concentrated on the buzzing, tingling feeling of the shield on her arm, and on the need to defend herself and the fragile embodiment of her friend that stood behind her. The shield shown brighter. _Constitution and Charisma, Max had said._ So her will itself was the source of her power?

"Alright, here goes!"

Glancing over her shoulder, Marinette gasped to see her gnome companion had taken a ferocious turn, his gleeful eyes now glowing like embers, both hands alight with flame.

"IMMOLATE!" Max called, smashing his burning palms together and hurling the meteoric result at the group of rats.

The fireball made direct contact with one unlucky rodent, burning it to ash instantly, as it smashed into the group. The circle of ground immediately surrounding the point of contact burst into flame. One of the creatures had leapt away as the attack neared, but the other was caught in the fiery aftermath of the spell. After a moment, it too limped out of the affected area, but Marinette could tell it was injured.

The quicker rat leapt at them, long, sharp incisors bared, but Marinette knocked it away with her shield, sending it skidding across the floor. Regaining its bearings, the rat charged again, this time nipping at her ankles. With a firm kick, she deflected the creature again. _OK, 1 point for the greaves._ The rat crouched, glaring at her, before springing sideways, attempting to get around her to charge at Max. Preempting its attack, Marinette grabbed an unlit torch off the wall as the creature leapt for the defenseless sorcerer. Swinging the length of wood like a tennis racquet, she connected with a sickening _crack._ The creature fell to the ground, lying limp, as a puddle of blood quickly formed around it. Turning her attention to the slightly-burnt rat, she caught sight of it just in time to see the tip of its tail disappear through a hole in the stone wall. She looked at the bloodied torch in disgust for a moment before Max's victorious "WHOO-HOO!" drew her attention away.

"That. Was. Amazing. Simply astounding!" Max's eyes, now returned to their normal warm brown, glittered with admiration.

Marinette blushed slightly at the praise. "You were pretty badass yourself! What was that crazy 'immolate' thing?! No way that was 'an entry level fire spell!'" Marinette purposely quoted his earlier explanation.

Max beamed with pride. "No, it was not. Thankfully, sorcerers learn through study rather than aptitude. While a cleric's spells materialize from the essence of your character, ours are achieved through research. Knowledge, once gained, cannot be taken away. Although, the power of the spells themselves is limited by my level, and my ability to cast them by my mana."

Marinette nodded thoughtfully. "So… you're tapped out until you can recover your mana?"

Max shrugged. "Essentially yes, but a bit of rest or water should do it. In the meantime, that was quick thinking using the torch as a club. It makes a decent weapon! As your character class is limited to blunt weapons, it may be difficult to happen upon a suitable replacement. You should keep it."

Marinette again regarded the disgusting club, but was surprised that all traces of blood had disappeared. In fact, with the exception of the charred circle where Max had cast his spell, all evidence of the battle had vanished. _Strange…_ Marinette thought, but she wasn't the type to question good fortune. If the game wanted to remove the carnage of the battles, she wasn't going to suggest otherwise.

"We should search this area," Max suggested. "We might be able to find the rats' nest. The animals collect and store things in their nests, so it is possible that we might find some treasure… perhaps even a canteen!"

And so the unlikely duo searched, Marinette keeping an eye on the hole in the wall in case the remaining creature should reemerge.

* * *

When Adrien burst into the next room, he almost laughed at the sight that greeted him. Kim, or rather the barrel-chested, heavily bearded, red-faced dwarf that Kim had become, was swinging a heavy ax over his head as a group of bats swirled around him. The winged creatures were far too quick for him and easily dodged his heavily-telegraphed attacks. When they got close enough, they would nip at him, sometimes drawing small specks of blood, but all-in-all Kim looked more annoyed than hurt.

"Hey buddy, need a hand? Looks like those bats have you _flapping_ mad!" Adrien called jovially, revealing his Chat-like side.

"Oh for the love of—" abandoning the ax, Kim swatted the creatures away with his hands. "I had no problem taking out a bunch of massive rats last time, but these things are impossible! They won't leave me alone!"

With a flourish of his rapier, Adrien grinned. "I got this, just duck!"

Kim dropped to the ground, covering his head with his hands to protect himself from any more dive attacks, as Adrien leapt into action. With a few quick swipes, he had destroyed three of the creatures, the others retreating back to the darkened corners of the room.

When the sounds of flapping wings ceased, Kim uncovered his head and looked up. Seeing that the bats were gone, he leapt to his feet, shouldering the enormous ax as if it weighed nothing at all.

"HOLY CRAP! How did you—that was AWESOME!" Kim gushed. "Why won't _my_ character do that?! The dwarf Barbarian was supposed to be the toughest guy around! What gives?"

Adrien grinned. He wasn't used to getting compliments like this. "Oh I don't doubt that you're stronger, but fencers rely heavily on dexterity. Quick but weak enemies are kinda my strong suit!"

Kim seemed to ponder this for a moment. "So basically you're saying that if you come up against a big, tough guy, you're screwed without me?" Kim squared his shoulders a bit, making his brawny form appear even more imposing. "It's a good thing we met up then, huh?" He nudged Adrien with an elbow, throwing him a wide grin.

Despite his fear of what might lie ahead given the difficulty he had in defeating a single beetle monster and his ever-present worry for Marinette, Adrien couldn't help but chuckle at Kim's demeanor. "You're… really enjoying this, aren't you?" he asked the surly dwarf.

Kim's excited nod and toothy grin were comically out of character on the bearish, muscular dwarf. "I told you man, this game is a freaking _blast_!"

* * *

 _Author's note: You guys, your support with follows, favs, and reviews is awesome, thank you so much! I feel like you've affected the characters being complimentary of each others' feeble attempts in this chapter by giving me the warm and fuzzies re: my own feeble attempts XD! This is my first try at writing an action-heavy fic... my previous have focused on romance mostly (although the plot of What the Heart Wants kinda grew... it was my first, I just kinda ran with it.) Anyways I just wanted to thank you all for the support as I, too, strike out into the unknown! Also... romance and drama are coming. I just can't NOT! - Floof  
_


	4. New Alliances

Chapter 4:

The chorus of student's screams had fallen silent some time ago, and Tikki was beginning to grow worried. Initially, she had expected Marinette's purse to pop open as her chosen called for her transformation, but when the screams ceased without her intervention, she was perplexed. Since then, Tikki appreciated no sensation of movement and no voices at all, as if the purse had been left behind, forgotten.

 _But that is so unlike Marinette! She would never just leave me behind, especially not when there's trouble! … at least not on purpose._ The last part of the thought is what weighed heavily on Tikki's mind, her concern for her chosen fighting against her need to stay hidden. With no hint as to what was happening outside, should she risk being seen to investigate?

She decided she had waited long enough. If Marinette was in trouble, Tikki had to find her, or else she wouldn't be able to transform into Ladybug. Marinette could be trapped somewhere, waiting for her, and here she was just sitting around doing nothing. Her mind made up, the bug kwami phased out of the purse, staying low to the ground in hopes that, if she was seen, she'd be dismissed as a mouse, or a giant bug, or a strange cat… _or something._

Having passed out of the purse, Tikki had expected more light, but was instead greeted with the flickering dimness of a large, stone-walled, torch-lit room. She noted that the small, pink-checked purse that had housed her and her precious cookies was now a dusty-brown, leather satchel. _Huh… so that's why it felt so soft…_

Lifting the bag in her tiny hands, Tikki took in the empty room, noting 3 sets of wooden doors: two rather plain in appearance and one large set accented with ornate iron rings. More concerning were the multiple sets of beady, yellow eyes that were peering at her from the darkness. Gripping the bag tighter, she whirled around, noticing more and more unblinking, malevolent, _hungry_ glares appearing from the shadows. It suddenly occurred to her that she was not safe here. _I need to find Marinette!_

Abandoning the leather satchel, as she could not pass through objects while carrying it, Tikki made a bee-line for one of the plain-looking doors just as the rats began to emerge from their hiding places. There were at least a dozen of them, most of them large enough to swallow the tiny goddess whole.

 _Alright, let's see what's behind door number 1!_ Trying to remain optimistic, Tikki hoped she would find Marinette, and _not_ more monstrous vermin, as she passed through the door.

* * *

After their search of the room turned up nothing of value and the sorcerer took a few minutes to rest, Max and Marinette decided to press on. Floating fireball orbiting, Max cautiously opened the door leading to the next room, hoping to find the midpoint room where he had met Kim in his first playthrough in order to better orient himself. Before he could even pass the threshold, he heard the _ZZSP!_ of something fly by his head, inches away from his ear.

"Goddarn it, son-of-a-mother!" grumbled a frustrated voice from the dark room beyond.

Max had turned on his heels to look for the source of the strange sound, and quickly found the arrow lodged in the ground behind him. He tried to warn Marinette, but found she had already entered the room without him. _What was she thinking?!_ "Mari-!"

"Alya?!" Marinette's voice, having recognized her friend's unique, permanently-censored brand of cursing spawned from many years of caring for younger siblings, cut off Max's warning.

"Ohmygosh Mari is that you?" Definitely Alya.

Turning to a confused Max, who remained standing, stunned, in the doorway, Marinette gestured for him to come in. Finally processing the exchange, Max entered the room. With a gesture, he sent his fiery orb around the room, lighting the torches on the walls and finally bringing their friend fully into view.

Alya was dressed in tan-orange leather pants, large tears resembling claw marks raking across her thighs to expose the flesh underneath, tucked smoothly into dark fur-trimmed boots just below her knees. Her top resembled a cropped vest, made of the same orange-ish leather but fading to a lighter color over the center of her chest as if it had been bleached by the sun. The vest shirt was tied together with a dark leather cord, but seemed to be several sizes too small for her as there was a several centimeter gap between the two edges of the vest, revealing quite a bit of cleavage on the buxom girl, which was only partially obscured by the strap of the quiver she held on her back. Despite the revealing outfit, the blatant inappropriateness of it rivaling her own, the aspect of her friend that drew Marinette's attention were the long, elvish ears emerging from her ombre hair, the graceful points extending several inches above her head.

Catching her friend's stare, Alya spun in a circle as if displaying a gown, which sent the foxtail accessory hanging from the back of her belt swinging. Her left arm, adorned with an unpaired leather gauntlet, clutched a simple wooden bow. Marinette felt a giggle rise to the surface at her friend's display.

"Well, what do you think, Madamoiselle Designer Extraordinaire? Should I rethink my plaid and jeans for something a little more… foxy?" Alya asked, completing her turn with a seductive pose.

Both girls laughing lightly, they ran to each other and hugged a greeting.

Pulling back to look at her leather-clad friend again, Marinette grinned. "What's with the fox tail? Thought the outfit was too drab without it?"

Alyla flicked Marinette's miniature breastplate in response. "Look who's talking, Xena! I know it's weird, but when I took it off, I just felt like I was… slower? So I put it back, and now I kinda like it!" The ombre-haired girl rocked her hips side to side, making the tail swish behind her.

Max coughed awkwardly, his presence forgotten, causing Alya to jump in surprise.

"Accessories such as this commonly grant status buffs. It is likely that the tail does indeed increase your speed; a most useful item for a huntress such as yourself," Max twirled the end of his long mustache as he spoke.

Alya's eyes widened. "Wait, MAX? Is that YOU? DA-ANG and I thought my costume was crazy!"

Max sighed, a small grin pulling at his lips. "Yes well… now that you know, perhaps you could refrain from shooting me with arrows?"

"ALYA!" Marinette gaped.

Alya let her gaze travel to the top right corner of the room, her lips pursed. "Ye-eeaah… sorry, I didn't know it was you! All I saw was a little gremlin with a fireball, and I panicked!"

"For the last time, I am not a _gremlin._ I am a gnome sorcerer!" Max declared, his annoyance evident.

Alya looked to Marinette for an explanation, but the blackette just shrugged, her grin still plastered on her face.

"ANY-who," Alya strode past Max, pulling her arrow from the ground. "I can't afford to waste these, I was only able to find a couple laying around in here. I found this bow and quiver on a skeleton, which crumbled to dust as soon as I touched it… lovely, right? I only found one of these things," Alya tapped the leather cuff on her left forearm with the side of the arrowhead, "but you should have seen how red my arm was before! It turns out shooting arrows is a little more painful than shooting video!"

Max nodded. "Hunter classes are notoriously difficult to play solo, when your need to dodge incoming attacks interferes with your ability to aim. With Marinette's defensive capabilities on your side, however, you should find it much easier to concentrate. Additionally, your heightened elvish senses should help us avoid ambushes. You are welcome to join our adventuring party, if you would like."

Returning her arrow to the quiver on her back, Alya regarded her two companions again, her expression staid. "I am _definitely_ gonna take you up on that… because whatever's going on on the other side of that door," she nodded to the closed door opposite them, "just got a little crazier, and I wasn't about to go charging in there alone."

* * *

When Adrien entered the next room a few steps behind Kim, something about it put him on edge. The long hallway was illuminated with torches and appeared devoid of threats. Still, Adrien stopped just inside the door. Something felt wrong.

"Kim, hold on a sec." The blond looked around, trying to place what made him uneasy. "There's… something up with this room. It's too… empty."

Kim paused. Something teased at his memory, a recollection of the long, empty hallway, but he couldn't quite recall. He tried to think back, but he didn't remember fighting through a hallway like this before meeting up with Max in the central chamber… so why did it seem so familiar? Instead, he turned to face Adrien, waiting for instructions. A few seconds passed as the blond boy stood looking around the empty room. Growing impatient, Kim made small talk. "So, what is a fencer exactly? I don't remember seeing it under the fighter class options."

Adrien blinked. "Huh? Oh… well I guess it's closer to a rogue that a fighter, really. I feel much more comfortable with light weapons, and like I mentioned before, my attacks rely more on agility than strength."

 _A rogue, huh? That will come in handy for-…_ In a flash, it came back to him. _They must be on the OTHER side of the main chamber! That's why there were bats instead of rats, and why they were already in the trapped hallway!_

"Adrien! There's a trap here somewhere!" Kim declared.

 _Of course!_ All rogue-class characters had a natural affinity for detecting traps. While thieves and assassins fine-tuned the ability, fencers had a coarse, rudimentary ability as well. "Nice going Kim, I think you're right!"

Kim ran a hand through his fluffy dwarven beard absent-mindedly. "Well… to be honest, Max and I fought through this room before. But I don't know where the trap _is_ , because we triggered it last time."

Adrien began searching the room carefully, looking for anything that seemed out of place, as Kim continued.

"We were just walking through when iron gates fell over the doors and a trap door opened, releasing a bunch of poisonous snakes. We were able to fend them off, but their bites inflict bleeding. Max had to cauterize most of the wounds using his fire magic, or we would have been done for!" Kim frowned at the memory. "So… we should probably avoid that…. Since he's not here."

Adrien was only half-listening as he carefully traversed the room, eyes scanning. He noticed one of the large, flat stones in the floor had an abnormally dark perimeter, as if it was loose. Dropping to his knees, he investigated more closely. _There's definitely a seam here… this rock is… a button?_ Squinting his eyes in the torchlight, Adrien was just able to make out the outline of the trapdoor, hidden low on the wall immediately opposite the trigger rock. "It's here!" he called to Kim triumphantly. "This rock opens a trap door in the wall. Steer clear of it and we should be fine!" As soon as the words left his mouth, Adrien had some innate understanding that he was right.

Kim flattened his back against the wall and shuffled sideways, giving the identified "danger zone" a wide berth. Adrien gingerly stepped over the trap, joining the barbarian on the far end of the room. Kim hesitated for a moment as he faced the exit door, as if expecting the iron gate to come crashing down despite their precautions. When it did not, he sighed with relief. "Nice going! We would have been totally boned if—"

He was cut off by the figure of a small flying creature that seemed to appear out of nowhere in front of the exit door.

"Freaking bats!" Kim cried out in surprise, raising his ax above his head.

Adrien, too, drew his weapon, ready to attack… but stopped short when he saw the creature, lips parting in surprise.

"AAAHHH WAAAIIIIT!" the creature cried, attempting to hide her oversized head behind tiny hands. "Please wait!"

Kim yelped, a high-pitched, entirely too feminine squeak, as he recoiled in surprise.

"Talking bat?!" Kim addressed the strange being, attempting to regain his composure. "W-what do you want?"

Tikki crossed her arms in front of her body demurely, attempting to look as non-threatening as possible. "I'm not a bat, I'm a k—" she stopped herself. Even if this was some strange new world, she probably shouldn't go around proclaiming that she was a kwami. She chose her words carefully. "Uhh… I'm Tikki," she amended. "I mean you no harm, I'm looking for my friend."

Kim finally lowered his ax, his eyes widening as his lips turned up in a grin. "Holy crap, you got turned into a _fairy?!_ That is so cool, I wish I could fly! You are so lucky!"

Adrien blinked. There was no doubt in his mind. This "Tikki" was not a student-turned-fairy, but a _kwami,_ with a decidedly ladybug-like pattern. And that meant… _Ladybug is here!_ Hiding his grin behind a fist, the blond cleared his throat. "Nice to meet you, Tikki. I'm Adrien, and this is Kim. You said your… _friend_ … is here somewhere?"

Glancing at the green-eyed boy, Tikki's eyes lit up, her smile growing wide. Although she had never gotten a good look at him in person, she immediately recognized Adrien Agreste from the multitude of posters in Marinette's room. The bug god couldn't help but giggle lightly as she imagined relating this little adventure to her chosen. _She's going to be so jealous!_ "Pleased to meet you both!" Tikki bowed her head respectfully. "To answer your question, yes… Her satchel is in the next room, but I have no idea where she is. Please, it is very important that I find her!" Tikki knew she was being vague, but she would need help if she was going to find Marinette.

Adrien nodded in understanding. "Well, Kim and I have explored the rest of this hallway and there was nobody else there, so she must be in this direction. We'll help you look for her, if you'd like!" In truth, he was just as excited to find the kwami's "friend" as she was.

 _Well that was easy enough!_ Tikki thought to herself. "Oh thank you!" she exclaimed, relief flooding her features. "But I should warn you, there are a bunch of hungry-looking rats in the next room!"

Shouldering his ax, Kim grinned. "Rats are no problem for _me_ , little lady."

* * *

Pressing his ear to the heavy wooden door, Max was still unable to hear anything in the room beyond.

"I'm telling you, they're arguing about something!" Alya insisted, her elven senses giving her significantly improved hearing. "I can't make it out, but it's definitely speech… _angry_ speech!"

Leaning away from the door with a sigh, Max twirled his moustache again. "I distinctly recall that the cell block area contained only roaches, bats, and rats… no humanoid creatures capable of speech. The first such creature was a kobold, who guards the treasure in the last room of this section, which in turn sits behind large wooden doors identifiable by wrought iron hinges."

Alya glared at him. "And there's absolutely no chance that you could be… mistaken?"

Max huffed. "I should hope to remember such important details as the identities of monsters! As such elements are written in advance, their presence is immutable. Unless a new element was added, such as our intrusion into this world, the game is essentially in stasis. It does not just change on its own accord."

Marinette shrugged. "Well we're not getting anything done just standing here. What have we got to lose?" Elbowing her friends out of the way, she pushed open the heavy wooden door.

Three creatures stood in the middle of the room, huddled around a small brown leather satchel. Covered in greenish-colored scales, they appeared to be a cross between a rat and a dinosaur, each possessing a long snout, elongated pointed ears, and a lizard-like tail. The largest of the 3, which stood at almost 5 feet tall, was waving a spiked club threateningly at the others.

"Kobolds…" Max mumbled to himself, as Alya shot the confused sorcerer an "I told you so" look.

A thin, lithe-looking kobold snatched the satchel off the ground and leapt away from the others. As he held his treasure aloft, spitting angrily at the others, Marinette could make out the familiar flower design and monogramed M that decorated her personal belongings etched into the leather.

"MY PURSE!" she whispered to the others as she took a determined step into the room. "We need to get it! It—" The distraught girl couldn't just declare that her defenseless kwami that would allow her to become a superheroine and save them all from their current, very strange situation was likely hidden inside. "It's important!"

Easily ducking under her outstretched arm, which still propped the door open, Max stepped in front of Marinette, cutting her off. "Marinette, no. I must advise against this! Kobolds are _much_ stronger than rats. They should not even be here, but were likely attracted to what they perceive to be treasure. Kim and I found it difficult to destroy a single kobold this early in the game. Facing three of them as we are is too dangerous."

Alyal peered into the room, an eyebrow cocked. "I dunno, they don't look that tough. Three of us, three of them… and you said Marinette can defend us right? If the two of us go all out, we can do some major damage!"

Max thought for a moment. "It is true, Marinette's defensive capabilities would provide a significant strategic advantage to my and Kim's purely offensive stance, and the kobolds' relative lack of adaptive reasoning combined with Alya's additional ranged damage per second may make it possible for us to face two… _maybe_. However, the likelihood of defeating all three without losing at least one party member is doubtful." He paused, calculating. "I would say approximately 3% probability… rounded up."

Marinette balked. ' _Losing' a party member? Does he mean… one of them would be killed?!_

Although she hated the idea of allowing the creatures to run off with the purse that likely contained Tikki, Marinette knew the kwami was smart. With her phasing ability and the monsters' obsession with the bag itself, the bug-god would have an opportunity to escape. …. _probably._ On the other hand, if one of her friends died in this world, she had no idea what the implications for their normal selves would be. Furthermore, if _she_ died here, Ladybug would be unable to purify the akuma, effectively trapping them all indefinitely.

She sighed. "OK, fine. We'll wait for them to leave. Maybe when we're a little stronger we can track them down again to recover the bag."

As Marinette and Max turned to leave the room, one of the kobolds caught sight of them. Its eyes narrowing, it shouted a warning to the others. Suddenly, all three pairs of reptilian, yellow eyes were locked on them.

Max cleared his throat nervously. "Ah, yes…. Successful escape from battle becomes more difficult with larger groups. It seems our attempt has failed."

With an angry howl, the largest kobold charged.


	5. Stacking the Odds

Chapter 5:

"So the Barbarian brings the pain, and the Fencer is all about finesse… what does the fairy class do? Can you do magic or something?" Kim questioned Tikki excitedly, eager to learn about the unfamiliar character. "Or is fairy a race and not a class? If so then what class are you? Do you have a weapon yet?"

His questions came one after the other, and poor Tikki didn't know how to respond. "I… uhh… well…." The overwhelmed goddess fumbled, her mind racing for a plausible explanation.

"And come to think of it, I don't know anybody at school named Tikki. Is that your character name or your real name? How did you come up with "Tikki?" What class are you in, do we know each other?" Kim's barrage of questions continued, flustering the kwami even more.

"Actually, I don't think fairies are a race _or_ a class!" Adrien interjected.

Tikki whirled to face him, her eyes wide. How was she going to explain this away?

"I think they're in-game characters, not akumatized students, that act like familiars," Adrien continued.

"So they grant buffs and stuff?" Kim asked, turning his attention to Adrien.

"Not exactly. They bind to a player, allowing their holders to temporarily change class… to become a more powerful version of themselves for a limited time. The 'friend' she's looking for is probably her wielder."

Tikki's violet eyes were like saucers. He had saved her from questions that she couldn't answer, but his explanation of a "fairy's" abilities was too spot-on to her role as a kwami. _Had he read the Miraculous book before they were able to retrieve it? No, it's in code, he couldn't have…_

Kim's brows furrowed. "How do you know all this? How come I've never heard of them? I've been playing this game for weeks!"

Adrien shot Tikki a poignant glance before addressing Kim. "Because I found one earlier. I'm guessing they're pretty rare, since the one I found has a proper name too. He calls himself Plagg, and turned me into a black-clad rogue. But now he needs to recharge before he can do it again."

Tikki's tiny mouth hung open. _It couldn't be!_ "Adrien! You… you're….?"

"SO LUCKY!" Kim cut in, his expression falling into a childish pout. "I want one!"

Adrien grinned. "Well not usually… I've always considered myself pretty _un_ -lucky. Then again, I am the su- _purr_ -sticious type." He winked at Tikki.

Tikki's shocked expression was replaced by a wide grin. _No doubt about it, Adrien was DEFINITELY Chat Noir…. Marinette is gonna have a field day with this!_ The ladybug kwami giggled.

Kim looked between his two companions, confused. Not understanding their private joke, he shrugged.

Just then, a cacophony of howls erupted on the other side of the door, as a familiar feminine voice yelled, "Look out!"

Tikki and Adrien both identified the voice immediately. _Marinette_. And it sounded like she was in trouble.

Gripping the edge of his shirt to hold it open for her with his free hand, the rapier in his right, Adrien commanded, "Tikki, hide with Plagg. We have to help Marinette!"

As the bug-god dove into hiding, Adrien charged into the next room, Kim following close behind.

* * *

Marinette had her shield raised, absorbing the strikes of the large, club-wielding kobold leader, as her companions dove into action. Alya rolled out to the left, launching several arrows in quick succession aimed at a particularly greasy-looking kobold. Two arrows connected, hitting the dirty kobold in the chest and knocking it backward. Her attack drew the attention of the sinewy kobold who, dropping the satchel it had been holding, turned to Alya and snarled.

Alya let out a surprised "Eep!" as the creature charged at her, but its attack was interrupted as a large fireball, courtesy of Max, slammed into it. Seething with anger and now slightly charred, the creature turned its attention to the sorcerer.

As the kobold leader continued to pummel Marinette's shield with blows from its spiked club, the greasy kobold tore the arrows from its chest, pushing itself back to its feet and yowling in a combination of rage and pain.

Alya readied her last remaining arrow in the bow, glancing between the charred kobold glaring threateningly at Max and the yowling one, trying to decide on a target, as Max hurriedly conjured another fireball. Two arrows to the chest, a direct hit with a fireball… their strongest attacks had only managed to weaken the smaller kobolds. Max had been right… these enemies were strong. Maybe too strong.

A particularly ruthless blow from the club knocked a weakening Marinette to her knees, although she kept her fiercely-glowing shield raised protectively.

The two smaller kobolds each poised to attack their respective targets as Alya clung to her last arrow, wracked with indecision, Max's panicked expression revealing to her that his spell was not ready. He was completely vulnerable, but as soon as she loosed her arrow, _she_ would be too. _Shoot the crispy kobold to save Max and face her own wounded kobold defenselessly, or shoot the dirty kobold again? Would a single arrow even kill either one? And what about Marinette? She couldn't hold off the big one forever…_

The wooden doors to their left crashed open as Adrien and Kim tore into the room, Kim bellowing a battle cry as he rushed toward the largest opponent. The lithe, burnt kobold was quick to adapt to the new threat, turning to charge at Adrien. The agile fencer dodged, piercing the creature's shoulder with a quick thrust of his rapier. The creature looked stunned, then _pissed_ , before suddenly going limp. As it fell, Adrien saw the feather-tipped shaft of an arrow protruding from the back of the kobold's head.

"Woo-hoo! Crit shot!" Alyla cheered as she ran to retrieve her arrow.

Spinning the huge ax overhead, Kim swung the weapon in a wide arc, connecting with the large kobold with a powerful horizontal blow that knocked it clear of Marinette. "Damn Alya, nice shot!" he called, grinning, seeming completely unconcerned with the danger of their situation and thoroughly enjoying the battle.

Relieved, Marinette let her shield fall, placing both hands on the ground and breathing deeply.

Juggling a now-complete fireball, Max stepped out from behind Marinette, launching the orb at the formerly arrow-riddled kobold. "Be careful team, Marinette is low on health!" he called a warning as the kobold ignited.

Turning to face the next opponent, Kim laughed haughtily. "Don't worry little man, I got this!" Hoisting his ax for the kill-strike, Kim charged the flaming creature.

Adrien's eyes went wide as he recognized the stalwart shield-bearer who had held off the monstrous kobold leader was, in fact, _Marinette._ And weary though she was, she looked _incredible_. Ink-black hair fell around her face, her blue eyes icy with determination. Her metal-clad chest rose and fell sharply as deep breaths passed through her slightly-parted lips, her cheeks rosy from exertion. He was stunned to see that the small girl, who he'd always assumed to be thin and frail, was actually _toned_ , her bare arms accentuated by graceful curves of taught muscle, her exposed stomach flat and accented by the lines of her abs. As she rose to her feet, her pale thighs were visible through high slits in her skirt, her long, shapely legs clad in tall boots with metal greaves. Adrien licked his lips subconsciously as he let his gaze travel over her, until his focus was torn away by the crumpled form of the large kobold, which appeared to be pulling itself to its feet.

"Marinette!" Adrien called out a warning as he ran to her.

Marinette tried to focus, her ears ringing, as she forced herself to her feet. _What had happened?_ A burly dwarf had knocked the monster off of her. _Where had he come from?_ Just then, she heard Adrien call her name. She glanced at him questioningly but, realizing that he was focused on something else, turned to her side, just as the downed kobold launched itself at her, spiked club poised to strike.

Adrien was too fast for the beastly lizard-thing, intercepting the attack meant for Marinette and driving his rapier deep into the kobold leader's side. Wailing, the kobold whirled to counter Adrien, smashing its club into his side, one of the wicked-looking spikes gouging a large gash across his chest.

"ADRIEN!" Marinette screamed as Adrien was knocked to the side, a crimson bloom appearing on his pale shirt.

The kobold leader stumbled, injured by Adrien's attack, and started toward the door.

Covered in gore from his most recent kill, Kim leapt at the last remaining kobold with a crazed yell, his eyes wild with rage. With a mighty swing, Kim crashed his ax into the creature's head, killing it instantly. Leaving the ax wedged in the monster's head, Kim beat his chest, bellowing victoriously.

Surveying the carnage, Max looked at Kim with interest. "Hmmm… it seems that you have unlocked a new skill, Kim. With the addition of the "Fury" capability, it seems that you are, in fact, a Berserker."

Breathing heavily, the crazed look ebbed from the dwarf's countenance as, all enemies defeated, he calmed. He blinked a few times, as if waking from a dream. "What… what happened? Did I win?" Kim asked, looking around the room as if seeing it for the first time as the bodies began to dissolve.

Having retrieved her arrows and returned them to the quiver, Alya turned to face the dwarf warrior. "Hold on, you're _Kim?_ This is just too weird!" Alya's amused grin faded when she noticed Adrien's injury. "Adrien… oh my God…"

Adrien clutched his side as he stood, gritting his teeth against the pain.

Marinette ran to him but, facing him, stood awkwardly, unsure of what to do. "Adrien, are you hurt? I'm sorry, of course you're hurt, is it bad?" Marinette's eyes brimmed with tears. He had gotten injured protecting her. He was _hurt_ , bleeding, and it was all her fault.

Adrien forced a weak grin. "It… uhh…" Adrien moved his arm away to assess the situation, but the wound bled anew, soaking through his shirt. He quickly replaced his arm, putting pressure on the large gash. "I'll be alright," he said reassuringly. "Are you hurt?"

Blinking back tears, Marinette shook her head. "I'm OK… thanks to you." His expression softened into a sincere smile at her words, but he teetered slightly on his feet.

Marinette paled. Adrien was losing a lot of blood, and the bleeding didn't seem to be slowing.

"Max, can't you cauterize it? Like with the snakes?" Kim questioned, beginning to look nervous.

Max sat cross-legged on the floor, folding his hands neatly in his lap, looking impossibly relaxed considering his friend was gravely wounded and bleeding profusely a few feet away. "Unfortunately, I will not be able to cast until I rest and recover MP. In fact, we should all rest before continuing on. However, Adrien's wound has been inflicted with bleeding and must be healed." When all four friends regarded him blankly, Max continued. "Luckily for us, we happen to have a healer."

Marinette nodded vehemently, suddenly understanding and eager to help, mentally retracting her complaint about being the healer from earlier. "Just tell me what to do."

Max cleared his throat, fidgeting a bit. "Right… in truth, I have never played a healing class before, so the specifics are foreign to me as well. The spell is called 'Laying on of Hands,' perhaps you should start with that?"

Marinette bit her bottom lip. _Lay… my hands… on_ Adrien?! Her pallor was replaced by a rosy blush.

Not noticing Marinette's discomfort, Max continued matter-of-factly. "Adrien, take off your shirt and lie down so Marinette can lay hands on you."

Alya snickered lightly as she watched her best friend turn progressively more crimson. She had no doubt that Marinette would figure this out and Adrien would be OK, the girl was amazing like that… but now that she knew he'd be alright, watching the girl squirm was just too funny.

Adrien nodded, grimacing in pain as he moved to follow Max's command. Pulling the linen shirt over his head was agony, _way_ worse than anything he had ever experienced as Chat Noir. _I'm never taking the suit for granted again_ he thought, freeing himself of the shirt and dropping it to the ground. Feeling light-headed from blood loss, he was all too happy to lower himself to the ground and lie on his back.

Dropping to her knees beside the half-naked model/literal boy of her dreams, Marinette's hands shook as she reached for him, her blush so fierce it felt like the tips of her ears were on fire. _My God he is gorgeous…_ Marinette took a steadying breath, trying to focus. _And he's hurt. He got hurt saving you, and now he's counting on you, you can do this!_ The ragged gash extended from the bottom of his ribs toward the center of his chest, and continued to ooze. She gently placed her tremulous hands on his exposed skin.

Adrien tensed at her touch, his breath catching at the intimate contact. Despite the pain, he blushed as the blue-eyed, raven-haired beauty delicately placed her soft hands on his bare chest. She essentially had him pinned to the ground, and suddenly, he desperately wanted her to forget about the healing and kiss him senseless instead.

Misreading his reaction, Marinette flinched. "Ohmygod Adrien, I'm so sorry! Did I hurt you?" Her concern spiked, and with it, her hands began to glow. _YES!_ Just as she had with the shield, Marinette concentrated on the feeling of the power emanating from her hands, pouring all of her love and concern for the selfless, sweet, injured boy into it, _willing_ him to feel better, to _heal_.

Adrien opened his mouth to reassure her that she hadn't hurt him at all, but his words were cut off as a wave of pleasure unlike anything he had ever experienced crashed into him. His eyes fluttered shut as his head lulled, a moan escaping his lips as the sensation enveloped him. He arced his body toward her hands reflexively, wanting more. It was like the comfort of sinking into a hot tub on a cold day, mixed with the satisfaction of scratching a mosquito bite, multiplied by a hundred. _No, a thousand_. He sighed, reveling in bliss, all traces of pain forgotten.

The expression of sheer ecstasy on Adrien's face combined with his pleasurable groans made Alya blush and avert her eyes. Max seemed content that Marinette's healing magic was working, but wholly unaware as to the nature of Adrien's reactions. Kim, on the other hand, stared at them, his mouth hanging open. Marinette's magic seemed to make him feel _good_ alright…

After a beat, Kim grinned. "Hey I'm hurt too, heal me next!" he said, a little too excitedly.

Alya punched him in the arm, _hard_. "Don't be a creep!" she admonished.

"OW!" Kim rubbed his arm sheepishly. He met Alya's disapproving glare with a shrug.

The tension in Adrien's muscles relaxed as Marinette's spell completed its work. Drained of all energy, the exhausted cleric collapsed onto his now-healed chest, too tired to be self-conscious.

Wrapping an arm around her form in an appreciative hug, nearly asleep himself, Adrien murmured, "Thank you, Marinette. I feel…" He didn't have the words. He felt _amazing_ , entirely satiated, so deliciously content that he couldn't hope to describe. His eyes still closed, his lips pulled into a soft smile. "…much better," he concluded as sleep claimed him.

"Yeah, much _much_ better!" Kim mocked, earning another punch from Alya. "OW! Stop that!" he complained.

"Both of you, stop bickering. We need to rest," Max advised. His tone foreboding, he added, "…while we _can_. It will only get more perilous from here. If we enter a fight poorly prepared… it's Game Over."

* * *

 _Author's Note: This is what happens when your magic is involuntarily guided by your desires...  
_

 _Also, first THANK YOU for all the reviews! I love to hear that you're enjoying it! I personally loved writing this chapter ^_^ There has been much concern over the well-being of the kwamis, who you'll remember were hiding in Adrien's shirt. They're both fine! Tikki has kept them obediently hidden in said shirt, which is now a heap on the floor. Next chapter opens with them, but this weekend is looking pretty busy so I don't know when the next update will be. Thank you for reading!_


	6. One Big, Happy Party

Chapter 6:

Tikki exhaled. She had followed Adrien's command and hidden in his shirt, but when the sounds of a battle crashed around them, she instantly regretted agreeing to such a plan. She jostled Plagg's sleeping form roughly, trying to rouse him so he could help Adrien, but cat kwami only moaned.

 _Adrien did mention that he had transformed… maybe he used Cataclysm?_ If that was the case, Tikki knew her cat-shaped cohort would be out of commission until he got either a snack or a very long nap.

When she heard Adrien call Marinette's name, the concerned bug-god abandoned the "hide and wait" plan, moving to phase out of the shirt and help. Marinette's life was more important than her secret, after all, and she might be able to convince the girl's classmates that she was a "fairy." Well… all of them except Adrien, that is.

However, at that moment, a strong force knocked Adrien sideways, rending a large gash in his side that began to pour blood inches away from the kwamis hiding place.

Tikki's eyes went wide. The magic of the suits largely protect the wielders from such injuries. Beyond some minor bumps and bruises, Marinette would come out of most fights essentially unharmed. Tikki was unaccustomed to seeing such a ghastly wound, and had no idea what to do. How was Adrien still on his feet?

"Plagg! Plagg wake up, you need to transform him!" the spotted kwami was desperate this time, and gave the sleeping cat-god a hard pinch.

"OW! What the h—" Plagg's eyes shot open with the pinch and was halfway through his angry complaint when he processed the presence of the other kwami. "Tikki? Where'd you come from?"

"I don't have time to explain! You need to transform Adrien, he's hurt!" Tikki's violet eyes pooled with tears.

Plagg turned his attention to the wound, still bleeding despite Adrien's attempts to hold pressure on it. "Whoa… " his luminescent green eyes went wide. "That's… not good."

" _I know it's not good!"_ the panicking ladybug kwami hissed. "Do something!"

"I—" Plagg's reply was cut off as the shirt began to move. Wrapping one tiny paw around Tikki and clutching the shirt with the other, Plagg rode the shirt up, bringing Tikki with him. "Hold on!"

The ruined shirt, and the two kwamis with it, was unceremoniously deposited in a heap on the floor. Pushing the lazy cat off her, Tikki took the opportunity to peak out at the room.

To her relief, she could see Marinette as she crouched beside Adrien, and the girl looked entirely unharmed. However, Adrien was laying between them, preventing the kwami from discretely rejoining her chosen. If Adrien saw Tikki go to Marinette, he would immediately figure out that she was Ladybug… but Marinette didn't know that. In any case, the battle seemed to be over, so Marinette was out of danger for the time being. Tikki decided it would be best to stay hidden for now, and look for an opportunity to rejoin Marinette in secret.

Tikki watched with fascination as Marinette's glowing hands healed the injured blond hero. This world seemed to grant her magic powers, even when she _wasn't_ Ladybug! _I guess Marinette isn't so helpless without me after all!_ The bug kwami grinned with pride.

Plagg's chuckling intruded on her musings. "What's so funny?'

The pointy-eared kwami, exhausted though he was, was shaking with muted laughter. "Do you—" more chuckles. "Do you see his face? My lord. Do you think she knows what sort of effect she's having on him?"

Her blush made the ladybug-god's face turn even deeper red. "She…. She's just healing him!" Tikki wasn't sure why _she_ was embarrassed, but…

"Oh she's doing more than that!" Plagg countered, grinning wide at his cohort's embarrassment. "Man, if the kid knew she was Ladybug, I think he might actually _die_." Plagg paused, eyeing Tikki.

Waving her blush away with her little hands, Tikki recovered. "I know! And if she knew the relentlessly flirtatious Chat Noir was Adrien the whole time, I think Marinette would explode!"

Plagg held Tikki's gaze with a mischievous grin. He watched as her countenance shifted from humor to surprise.

"Uhh… I mean…" Tikki fumbled over her words, realizing too late that she had just revealed her chosen's true identity.

Plagg's winked, a sharp canine peeping through his sly smile. "Don't worry, Bugaboo. I won't tell. Actually I rather enjoy watching the kid make a fool of himself! Your secret is safe with me."

Tikki sighed with relief. Both miraculous holders appeared to be asleep, wounds healed.

"But in return for my secrecy," he continued after a beat, "I require _fooooood_!"

Tikki's expression lit up. "The purse! The purse is here!" Tikki shuffled to the other side of the discarded shirt and peered out. "There! You see the leather satchel? There's food in it!"

Tikki caught Plagg just before he shot out of the hiding place.

"Wait! You hide. Marinette mustn't see you. They've all seen me already, I'll get it." With that, Tikki popped out from under the shirt.

Kim was the first to notice the kwami's presence. "Oh hey Tikki! Did you see me _destroy_ those guys?!"

Max quizzically opened one eye, mid-meditation, to regard the new companion.

"WHOA! What is _that_?!" Alya stared at the creature in wonder.

"She's a fairy!" Kim replied without hesitation. "She allows her holder to change class, but she's lost at the moment. We're trying to help her find her friend!"

"Ethan's creativity continues to impress," Max murmured, closing his eyes again.

Marinette opened her weary eyes at the excited voices. _Was that… Tikki? Floating in the middle of the room for all to see?_ Marinette's processing power was moving at a snail's pace, her energy still sapped from the healing.

"That's right! My name is Tikki!" the kwami noticed her chosen beginning to stir. She laid it on thick, speaking slowly and purposefully. "I'm a fairy familiar and I've lost my friend. I _really_ hope she's safe, _somewhere_ , and that I find her soon." She shot a glance in Marinette's direction, hoping she got her point across.

 _Well that's weird_ , Marinette thought, still teetering on the brink of consciousness. Tikki seemed to be hiding the fact that she knew Marinette from the others. _Was she protecting her identity?_ The clever kwami had invented a convincing explanation for her presence and even her powers, and Marinette didn't see the harm in playing along as the 'fairy holder.' Still, in her current state, she wasn't really thinking straight. Resolving to question the kwami later, Marinette allowed sleep to take hold of her again.

Once Alya's curiosity about the "fairy" was sated, she sat with Kim to learn more about the unfamiliar game. With Max meditating to regain his magic and Marinette and Adrien asleep, Tikki snuck Plagg from the ruined shirt into the leather satchel, fearing that the torn, bloodied garment might be left behind. Her delicious chocolate chip cookies had morphed into buttery biscuits, and Plagg had gulped down two of them almost instantly. Reminding him of his need to stay hidden, Tikki advised that he leave some of the delicious treats to serve as a hiding place. Rubbing his now-bloated belly, full anyway, he let out a burp.

"Fine, but I expect any cheese you find to be dropped in here post haste!" he said before nudging himself under the remaining biscuits. "And feel free to join me, if you want."

Tikki smiled as she curled next to him. The demanding, gluttonous cat god was annoying but endearing… and she had missed him very, very much. While he would never say as much, the two kwamis shared a deep love for one another, and truly only felt complete in each others' presence. With each new generation of chosen, they both anxiously awaited the day when their wielders became close enough to share their secret identities, desperately hoping that they would get along. Unfortunately, some Chat Noirs and Ladybugs couldn't stand each other in real life, making it necessary to hide their identities each time until the civilians could feel each other out. If the heroes hated each other in their normal life, the kwamis would be forced to remain apart, identities forever hidden, to preserve the heroes' relationship. Thankfully, such an event was rare. Judging from their interactions up to this point, Tikki knew it was only a matter of time before _this_ Chat Noir and Ladybug fell hopelessly in love, allowing her to spend the remainder of their lifetimes with her beloved partner.

* * *

Marinette awoke disoriented. _Where…?_ Memories of the battle began to take shape, of Adrien's horrible wound, of her healing him. She had been so tired… It suddenly occurred to her that she had fallen asleep _on_ someone, and instantly understood with blinding clarity _exactly_ where she was.

She was draped across the bare chest of Adrien Agreste.

Marinette lay as still as she could, now fully alert, her eyes wide. She swallowed a whimper that arose in her throat as her face flushed with heat. Based on the steady rise and fall of his chest, _which her head was currently laying on_ , it seemed that Adrien was asleep.

 _Oh my God this is so embarrassing,_ the distraught girl thought. _Maybe he didn't notice? If I can sneak away without waking him…_

Ever so subtly, Marinette shifted her body weight, withdrawing from him a bit. The arm that was encircling her, that she hadn't realized was there, tightened around her just as subtly as her move had been.

" _Stay… please."_ His voice was barely perceptible, nothing more than a whisper.

Had she imagined it? Was he talking in his sleep?

The golden-haired boy made no move to look at her, no indication that he was even awake.

Was _she_ still asleep, and dreaming? In that moment, Marinette didn't care. Dream or not, invited or not, near-paralyzed with anxiety or not, she would never have a moment like this again. Reversing her earlier move, still trying not to wake him, Marinette shifted into him slightly, reveling in the opportunity to touch him, to touch _Adrien_. Her eyelids languidly easing shut, she lay there absorbing his body heat, her head rising and falling with the rhythm of his breathing. _Oh Adrien…._

* * *

Adrien wasn't sure if he was awake or asleep. As he lay on the hard stone floor, the exhausted girl passed out on his chest, his entire body felt warm and fuzzy. Even the cold stones at his bare back caused no discomfort. He felt like he was floating a warm pool of pure happiness, and marveled in the feeling. He felt Marinette shift away, and instinctively held her tighter. Before he could stop it, a word of command escaped him: " _Stay."_

 _Well that was rude. The poor girl was trying to get away, you can't just force her to stay with you if she doesn't want to._

"… _please,"_ he added. In truth, he hadn't intended to force her to do anything, but he desperately wanted to hold on to this feeling, to hold on to this _girl_ , who had made him feel so… content? _Was that the right word?_ So… loved?

Before he could reject the idea as foolish, Marinette surprised him by snuggling in closer. A pleased smile stretched across Adrien's face. Appropriate or not, he was enjoying this contact, and wanted it to continue as long as possible. He'd apologize later. For now…. This was good.

* * *

Suddenly remembering a crucial detail, Marinette shot to her feet.

"Is Tikki here?!" A moment too late, Marinette recalled that Tikki seemed to guard their relationship from the others, letting on that she still hadn't found her lost friend despite Marinette's presence.

Adrien pushed himself up on his elbows, perking an eyebrow at the startled girl. _Could it be…?_

Thinking quickly, Marinette continued, "I have so many questions to ask about fairies!"

 _Oh._ Adrien couldn't help but be disappointed. The only thing that could make his Princess any more perfect would be for her to be Ladybug. _Oh well, she's still pretty perfect_ , he thought with a soft smile. _Wait what? Where did that come from?_

Tikki emerged from the satchel, effortlessly floating over to Marinette.

"Hello! I'm Tikki, pleased to meet you!" the kwami couldn't help but laugh lightly at the ridiculousness of the situation. She and Marinette were as close as two beings could be, and introducing herself like a stranger just felt odd.

"Oh, hello Tikki! My name is Marinette… and likewise!"

Adrien cocked his head to the side. There was something weird about their interaction, something _different_ , like… a familiarity? But no, if anything they seemed too formal. He shrugged. _What is the normal way to great a "fairy," anyway?_ He had seen some strangeness in his adventures as Chat Noir, but this akuma definitely takes the cake.

Rising to his feet and joining Marinette, Max chimed in. "Actually I would like to speak with you as well, if you don't mind. My name is Max, and Kim and I are quite adept at this game. It seems the monster swept Adrien, Marinette, and Alya, and perhaps others, up into the game as well. Together, we form a questing party. For a party to be successful, it is vital that each member utilizes his or her unique traits and skills to advance the group."

Tikki regarded the bearded gnome with interest. _His knowledge could really be helpful in taking down this akuma!_ _After all, it is much easier to "win" if we know how to play the game._

"And so, Miss Tikki," Max continued, absently twirling the end of his moustache as he peered at her with a scrutinizing gaze. "If you could tell us, specifically, what your powers are?"

Kim and Alya joined the group as well, curious.

"Yeah!" Kim seconded. "Like, I wanna know how you poofed into the room where Adrien and I first found you!"

Not to be left out, Adrien stood from the floor and shyly came to stand next to Marinette. He briefly considered putting the shirt back on, but it was essentially ruined due to the ragged gash, and the large, wet blood stain made the thought of donning the garment loathesome. Being shirtless in public was nothing new for the model, but for some reason, Marinette's proximity sparked a mixture of nervous excitement and bashfulness in him.

Tikki giggled at Kim's comment. "Well, I didn't 'poof,' really. I can pass through physical objects, including doors. We… fairies exist on a different plane of existence, so we interact with the physical world in unique ways. To be honest, I don't understand all the details myself."

"So you live in a fairy plane?" Alya was intrigued, forgetting for a moment that none of what she was experiencing was actually real. "But you can interact with ours. Does that mean that other things from your plane can interact with the physical world too? Like how the akumas merge with people to make them monsters?!"

The kwami was astounded. Marinette was right: while she tended to go off on tangents at times, Alya was extremely perceptive.

Max scoffed. "Alya, there are no akumas in Vaults and Villains."

Alya looked confused for a moment, and then her face fell into a pout. "Oh… right."

"So you can pass through stuff, and change a player's class," Kim was counting off abilities on his fingers, "and fly, obviously. But can you like, shoot lasers or cast spells or anything like that?"

Alya, Max, and Kim all looked at Tikki expectantly.

She laughed again. "What? No!"

The disappointment was evident on Kim's face. "Awe… well still pretty cool."

Max's idle hands moved from twirling his moustache to stroke his long beard. "Indeed. Your ability to pass through objects will be very useful, even if you have no fighting capbilities. If we can find the student to whom you are bound, I imagine she will be a valuable asset as well. What do you say, Tikki? Will you join us in our adventure?"

Tikki performed a midair backflip. "That would be wonderful! I'll be happy to help!"

With a satisfied nod, Max smiled. "Excellent. Perhaps it would be safest for you to remain hidden, seeing as how you have no natural defenses."

"Not a problem!" the bug-god replied. "I'll just hide in this satchel!" As she flew past Adrien on the way to the satchel, she gave him a deliberate wink. "There's some food inside, so it makes the perfect hiding place for fairies!" Tikki put a slight emphasis on the plural of the word.

Adrien's eyes widened in understanding. _Plagg wasn't half as clever as Tikki was!_ _Ladybug won the kwami lottery for sure._ "Ah! Right, you'll need to eat to recharge your strength, right?"

"That's right!" the delighted kwami replied. "A little snack and I'll be ready for action! You know, just in case." With that, Tikki rejoined Plagg in the satchel.

Marinette had caught her meaning. While Tikki intended to keep their relationship a secret for some unknown reason, she would be ready to transform her if needed.

Her reflexes quick, Alya snatched up the purse before Marinette could move for it. It was slung across her body, overlying the strap of the quiver she wore, in an instant, the pouch sitting on her hip. "I don't mind carrying it!" she declared. "I've already got the quiver anyway, and it won't get in the way of my bow."

Adrien stared. _She had been awfully quick to grab the satchel… could Alya be Ladybug?!_

He tried to imagine the girl with black hair, secured into pigtails with long ribbons, her orange leather ensemble replaced with black-spotted red.

 _Wait, no._ There was no way Alya could be Ladybug, because Alya was Lady Wifi. All of the akuma victims were off the list as possibilities by necessity.

Marinette sighed. She would prefer if she could carry Tikki, to have her close by just like in real life. In fact, she might even be able to duck away and transform with none of the group the wiser, just like she did in real life! But there was no way she could get the satchel now without arousing suspicion. She would just have to wait for another opportunity.

Adrien didn't miss how Marinette was eyeing the satchel. Maybe it was just his imagination, because he truly wished his soft-spoken, slightly clumsy, courageous, selfless friend could also be his beautiful, intuitive, valiant, heroic partner… but the two girls _did_ kind of look alike. And the ever-cheerful Marinette had never been akumatized. _I wonder…_

* * *

 _Author's Note: The kwamis have emerged! Well... one of them at least. Plagg is happy where he is, literally buried in biscuits._


	7. By the Book

Chapter 7:

The focus of the group had turned to devising their next move. Not surprisingly, Max was dominating the conversation. "And so, assuming our intrusion into this realm did not trigger an alteration in the topography of the dungeon itself, the room where Kim and I had encountered the kobold treasure guardian should be behind those doors." The gnome sorcerer gestured to the largest of the three sets of doors, the ones adorned with large iron accents.

Kim, who was seated directly to his right in the group's tight circle, perked at this. "We get to kill more kobolds? Awesome! They're no match for me!" He thrust his huge ax into the air above his head with one hand in a triumphant gesture. "BERSERKER FORTIS IS THE BEST!"

Alya sighed, bringing a hand to her forehead and shaking her head gently. "If by 'best' you mean craziest, most out of control, destructive force of absolute mayhem… then sure."

Kim grinned at what he thought to be a compliment.

"Actually, it is likely that the treasure guardian was lured into this room by what it perceived to be new treasure—the satchel, just like the other kobolds in the area," Max surmised. "If this is indeed the case, then we have already defeated it. Your timely arrival was fortuitous, as I do not believe the three of us would have been victorious without your assistance."

"For real though Xan… I mean Max, you're legit casting fireballs?! How awesome is that!" Kim's childish excitement bubbling from the dirty, bearded countenance of a dwarven warrior was as out of place as a bear giggling like a schoolgirl.

Max chuckled lightly. "Yes… well…"

"Personally, I'm fascinated by Marinette," Adrien interjected, casting a charming smile at the blue-eyed girl sitting to his left.

Marinette's lips parted slightly as if she would reply, but the shy girl only produced a small squeak. Alya, sitting cross-legged on the other side of the blackette, nudged her tomato-faced friend with a quiet "Hmmm?" and a perked brow.

"Yeah, you seemed pretty _fascinated_ when she was healing you…." Kim teased the blond boy.

Not catching (or choosing to ignore) his meaning, Adrien turned toward Marinette and continued. "Your magic is incredible Marinette! How do you _do_ that, make your hands glow?" Reaching out, he took her right hand in his left, turning it palm up. He stared at the exposed palm transfixed, as if it might spark with power at any moment, as he gently grazed the fingertips of his other hand across her open palm.

"Ah…haha… well, I, uhh…" the slight tickle of his fingertips flitting over her palm struck Marinette dumb. Her heart beat rapidly in her chest as the room swayed, and she feared she might actually faint. When he lifted his emerald gaze to meet hers, Marinette thought she could happily die, right then and there.

Surprised by the expression of shock on her face, Adrien dropped her hand, awkwardly scratching the back of his neck and blushing slightly. "Heh… sorry Marinette, that was rude of me."

"N-no!" the blackette replied, with a little too much force. "That was…" _Amazing? Wonderful? Life-altering? Wondrous? PleaseGodDoItAgain Incredible?_ "That was…. Fine. Yeah totally fine." She tried to reign in the cheesy grin that threatened to claim her face.

Max looked at the pair in confusion. "You character class cannot wield magic Adrien, so even if she could explain how she was able to summon her power, obtaining such knowledge would be inconsequential."

"Actually I'm curious too," Alya turned her attention to Max, "about ALL of this. I get that I'm a hunter and all but… you're a sorcerer, and Kim is some crazy warrior, how many classes _are_ there in this game, and how do they like… work?"

Max beamed, his brown eyes shining, eager to display his knowledge. "Yes well, the complexities are quite intricate. There are offensive, defensive, and support roles, and each class is uniquely suited for different combinations of those roles. Fighters, like Kim's berserker, are melee offensive roles. They possess immense power at the expense of agility."

Kim flexed at the mention of his "immense power," raising his eyebrows at Alya several times in quick succession.

"While rogue classes, such as Adrien's fencer, are also melee offensive roles, they offer a stark contrast in attributes: rogues are fast and precise. They gain the advantage by outmaneuvering their opponents and targeting their weaknesses rather than simply overpowering them," Max explained. "Furthermore, different classes within a category can also vary. For example, a fencer has comparatively high defense and base attack as compared to other rogues, but lower bonuses to targeting weak points. Thieves, on the other hand, have extremely high critical attack rates and the ability to cloak, but very low defense should they be struck. I doubt Adrien would have survived the kobold leader's strike had he spec'd as a thief."

Adrien paled slightly at the thought, making a mental note to _dodge_ as Chat Noir.

"But it's not always so simple!" Kim interrupted.

"How is any of this simple?" Alya questioned him incredulously.

Ignoring her, the brawny dwarf continued. "As players become more skilled, they can advance into a secondary class. Berserkers are like _super_ barbarians, the craziest of the cray. But others are like combinations of different starter classes. Like, a fencer who gains thief skills becomes an assassin!"

Max nodded. "That is correct. As a berserker, Kim has less defense but greater offense than a barbarian, and gains the ability to rage, completely abandoning the ability to defend or dodge for a massive boost to critical rate. Assassins sacrifice some of the fencer's defense to gain some of the thief's attributes. The combinations are practically limitless."

Marinette, having descended from her personal cloud of joy, was following the conversation with interest. "So Kim is a berserker, you're a sorcerer, Adrien is a fencer, I'm a cleric, and Alya is a hunter," Marinette counted off each character on her fingers as she went around the circle. "That gives us two melee physical fighters, one ranged magical, one ranged physical, and defensive-type healer… person." Marinette felt self-conscious referring to her character-self, but brushed the feeling aside. "I'm assuming some clerics can be heavily-weighted toward defense. Are there characters that are pure supports too?"

Kim snickered at this. "Yeah, _bards!_ "

Alya's eyes widened. "Wait, you mean like singing storytellers?"

"They typically do not directly engage in one-on-one combat," Max pointed out in a familiar defensive tone, protecting the legitimacy of each class equally. "Their role is to provide status buffs to the party. Their counterparts, witches, are also purely support, but cast status ailment-inflicting curses on foes. Please disregard Kim's imprudence. Verily, such a player can change to course of a battle."

"But they're so _weak,"_ Kim countered, crossing his thick arms over his broad chest.

"I believe your opinion may change if we encounter an enemy witch," Max stated matter-of-factly. "Fortis the Frog may not be as imperious as Fortis the Berserker."

The girls giggled as Kim pouted.

"Well then, if you feel your knowledge is sufficient, shall we continue exploring?" Max asked as he stood from the stone floor, brushing dirt from his long robe.

Thankful to have the attention diverted from his apparent faux pas, Kim stood as well. "Yeah! I'm anxious to see what's in the treasure chest. Maybe it's a bigger ax!"

Alya couldn't contain her grin as she watched Adrien stand and offer a hand to Marinette. With a demure blush, Marinette accepted his outstretched hand and allowed him to pull her to her feet. The two locked eyes for a long moment, and Alya almost reached for her phone to snap a pic of the adorable interaction before she remembered that elven huntresses don't carry cellphones. She sighed in disappointment, but her smile didn't falter. _It's finally happening!_ The pointy-eared girl thought. _Go Mari go!_

* * *

As Kim pushed open the heavy wooden doors, they groaned on ill-used hinges under the effort. The adventurers were greeted by a small, dank room with a low ceiling, forcing the taller members of the party to crouch slightly as they entered. The grey stone and dirt floor continued in from the previous room, and as Max sent his floating torch to illuminate the space, they could see the bottom of a curving staircase formed of crumbling stone tucked into the far corner. As the group crowded in to the space, the smell of mold and rot assaulted them, causing Alya to audibly gag. A pile of decaying, half-eaten rat corpses lay in the corner opposite the staircase, a myriad of flies circling it lazily.

As Max's face took on a decidedly green tone, Kim brought a hand to his face to cover his nose and mouth. _"Imph da treasure ish under there, I say we leabe id,_ " he declared, his voice muffled by a beefy hand.

"I could burn the bodies away, but that might just make it worse," Max said.

"Wait, look there!" Adrien pointed to an overturned stool that sat next to the putrid pile. "I see something behind the stool!" Having finished his sentence, he clamped his mouth shut, just in case the bile churning in his stomach decided to make good on its threat to escape.

Pinching her nose between her thumb and index finger, Alya strode forward with the determination of Katniss Everdeen offering herself as tribute. _It's just dirty diapers, it's just dirty diapers,_ the ombre-haired girl lied to herself as she approached. Once she was close enough, she nudged the stool away with a booted foot, loathe to bend her face any closer to the disgusting mound. Sure enough, there was a small box tucked behind the stool. Mimicking her previous action, Alya used her feet to deftly maneuver the box toward the door of the room they had just exited.

Once Alya had successfully managed to remove the box from of the offending room, the other friends came pouring out again: Max, Kim, Marinette, and finally Adrien, the latter of whom let out the breath that he had been holding.

"Way too small to be an ax," Kim remarked as he eyed the box, his disappointment evident.

"Well whatever this is, I hope it's worth it! If it weren't for this stupid box, we could be up those stairs by now!" Alya bent to retrieve the box from the ground.

"Oh… that means we have to go _back?"_ Marinette's face lost a bit of color at the thought.

"Only for a moment… we'll go fast, "Adrien offered with a reassuring smile.

Marinette couldn't help but smile back. It was _that_ smile again, the same one from earlier… the one that made his dazzling eyes soften ever so slightly, a crack in his pristine, polished exterior to expose a warm tenderness. That smile turned her into a puddle.

"Are you flippin _kidding_ me?!" Alya's exasperated complaint made Marinette blink back to reality once more. "It's locked!"

"Oh ye of little faith," Max chided as he approached her. "Have you never met a gnome before?"

She cast him a dubious look. "Uh… is that supposed to be rhetorical?"

The waist-high warlock maneuvered in front of Alya and brandished his lockpicking tools with pride. "You should know, we have many natural talents!" Manipulating the iron picks in the small keyhole, he had the chest open in a matter of moments.

Hearing the click of the lock disengaging, Alya's excitement returned. Placing her hands on Max's shoulders to push him down slightly and peer over his head, she peeked into the chest. "What did we get?" she asked.

"A-HEM, excuse me!" the diminutive sorcerer remarked.

"OH!" Alya gasped, realizing she was smooshing Max toward the ground. She released him, backing up a few steps. "Sorry Max! I'm just so used to dealing with the rugrats that I—um, not that you're a rugrat!" Alya waved her hands in front of her face as if she was trying to erase the whole situation.

Before Max could reply, the heavy weight of Kim's crooked elbow landed on his head, forcing him down again, as the warrior investigated the chest while resting his chin in his massive palm.

Max let out a defeated sigh as Adrien and Marinette exchanged amused giggles.

"What is that, old paper? I wanted an item! What good is paper?" Kim cocked his head to the side, trying to understand why a folded piece of parchment might be considered "treasure."

Max stepped out from under Kim, causing the surly dwarf to pitch forward a bit before regaining his balance, and retrieved the parchment from the chest. Unfolding it, he recognized it immediately.

"It's a map of the dungeon!" Max exclaimed, taking a few steps toward the center of the room for the space to extend his arms fully. "And the locations of the monsters are marked! There is no way players should be privileged to such information… it must be a page of Ethan's Master's Manual!"

"Are you _serious?"_ By Kim's expression, the others of the group would think he had discovered the Holy Grail. "This is gonna be a cake walk if we know where all the monsters are!"

Max's eyes shone as he met Kim's gaze, their elation mounting. "We'll be able to prepare for each foe before encountering them! We'll know _exactly_ what we're up against!"

At that moment, a sinister chuckle echoed through the large room, causing the alarmed group to turn toward the center of the space where the satchel had once lain. In front of their eyes, a humanoid form, wrapped in a heavy, purple-black cloak that fell to the tips of its feet, the draping hood revealing only darkness where the face should have been save for two eyes burning like blue flame, materialized like an apparition, floating several feet above the ground. Despite the lit torches in the room, the figure seemed to be cloaked in shadow, as if the darkness emanated from the being itself.

"So, you think you've learned all my secrets, do you?" The creature's deep, booming voice did not arise from the form in front of them, but rather seemed to assail them from all directions at once. "Have you considered that the Vault Master himself might come to play?" The creature flourished a gloved hand to the side, calling forth from the shadows that surrounded him a large, gleaming, spike that floated under his extended hand.

Marinette was moving. In several large strides, she placed herself between the apparition and Max who, still grasping the map, was the closest potential target for the demon. Calling her shield to her arm, she took a defensive stance.

Adrien's eyes went wide. He didn't like seeing Marinette in such a compromising position, placing herself between the enemy and the most exposed member of the group. Summoning all his stealth capabilities, he inched his way away from Kim and Alya, attempting to gain a flanking position against their foe. Picking up on his movement, Alya made a show of readying an arrow in her quiver, which in turn prompted Kim to grip his ax menacingly with both hands.

"Listen!" the shield-bearer proclaimed. "We don't want to fight! We all think it's horrible what Chloe did to you, we just want to help!"

The apparition only chuckled louder. "You 'don't want to fight,' Cleric? How sweet. If only fighting wasn't such an important component to the game, that might actually be an option! Although I suppose you could all just give up…"

"Not a chance, asshole!" Kim roared from his spot beside Alya, his rage building.

Marinette fumed. "That's _not_ what I mean! You underestimate us, Vault Master. Together, this team is unstoppable! I know we can defeat you. I just don't want it to come to that! We all want the same thing!"

Adrien's right hand twitched in anticipation, waiting for his chance to strike.

"Oh?" Vault Master said with mocked surprise. "So you all wish for your deaths too? Then I shall oblige!" Without warning, the figure pivoted midair to face Adrien, raising the floating spike like a javelin hovering a few inches above his readied palm. "Do you honestly think you can sneak attack the Vault Master?! I see _everything!"_ he scoffed at the stunned boy. "Bonne nuit, Fencer!" the creature proclaimed.

"NOOOOO!" Marinette lunged toward the very vulnerable Adrien who was standing several feet away from the others, throwing both arms in front of her, reaching for him despite the impossible distance.

Vault Master bellowed "Eternal Slumber!" as he hurled the magic spear in Adrien's direction. Time seemed to move in slow motion as the needle-sharp spike careened toward Adrien, and yet Alya couldn't bring her limbs to move. She watched helplessly as the glowing disc inexplicably disappeared from Marinette's extended arm as the girl dove toward her crush. In the very same instant, an egg-shaped dome shone around the green-eyed boy, the same luminescent blue-white that the shield had been.

Adrien raised his arms to shield his face, despite knowing such a move was futile, an instant before the magical projectile dissolved into a glowing wall that had appeared in front of him. His mind instantly processed the unique radiance as Marinette's shield. _But how do I have it… and why is it so big?_ Through the glowing wall, he could make out the figure of Marinette, both her arms stretched toward him, a terrified expression on her face.

"Bad move, Cleric, you've left yourself defenseless!" the disembodied voice taunted as the shrouded figured turned to face her, its eyes glowing. Conjuring a second spike and lifting it into the air in the expanse of a second, he again called "Eternal Slumber!" as he directed the skewer through Marinette's unguarded abdomen.

"MARINETTE!" Adrien screamed, running toward her as the protective orb encompassing him dissolved.

Alya's shrill wail echoed off the stone walls as the magic projectile dissolved into Marinette's flesh. Although she didn't appear to register pain, her eyes flashed open in surprise before fluttering shut, her body slumping to the floor.

Before Adrien could reach her, Vault Master summoned Marinette's limp body into his arms with a flamboyant snap of his fingers. Alya tried to remind herself that none of what she was seeing was real as Max and a barely-cognizant, near-raging Kim tried to analyze the situation for a counter move. Adrien skidded to a stop from his now-pointless dash, glaring at Vault Master with seething hatred.

"What… did you… do to her?" Adrien growled with such ferocity that the words came out in short bursts.

Vault Master seemed entirely unconcerned by the unvoiced threat so obviously directed at him. He looked at the small form of the girl in his arms with interest. "Funny you should ask, actually: I _thought_ I had killed her. That's what 'Eternal Slumber' does, after all. However, the save roll resulting from the Cleric's high constitution seemed to make instant-kill abilities ineffective! How intriguing!"

"He's… he's a _warlock!"_ Max mumbled, barely loud enough for the others to hear, his voice edged with dread. "He can curse!"

Brushing away the tears that had silently slid down her face, Alya regained her composure a bit. "Ineffective?! You mean she's alive!"

The shadowy figure chuckled again. "It seems so. Ironically enough, it seems I have cast her into a _literal_ slumber! How undeniably appropriate!" He paused, as if reflecting on something, before continuing. "I suppose I shall deposit her in the Beholder's chamber then, yes?"

"NO!" Max and Kim both replied in unison.

Vault Master laughed again. "I do hope you all are more successful in reviving the Princess this time. After all, your very lives are on the line!" With that, the figure disappeared with Marinette in tow, just as suddenly as he had come.

Adrien stood still as a statue, clutching the hilt of his rapier with a white-knuckled grip. _Marinette…. That bastard took my Princess…._

Suddenly remembering the most vulnerable member of the group, Alya dropped her hand to her side, flipping open the top of the satchel. "Tikki!" Relief washed through her as she registered the red fairy creature sitting delicately atop a mound of biscuits. "Tikki are you OK?!"

Tikki looked up at Alya innocently from the depths of the bag. "Yes, I'm fine! I heard voices, is everything OK?"

* * *

 _Author's note: In case you're wondering why Plagg and Tikki didn't respond to the commotion: if you're not in the active party, you can't participate in battles. As the two kwamis are in hiding per Max's suggestion, they cannot be sensed or targeted by villains but are only vaguely aware of the happenings outside._


	8. Strategy

Chapter 8:

"It's Marinette! Tikki, he has her! Vault Master showed up and he tried to kill her but he cursed her to sleep instead and then he took her!" Alya's words came tumbling out one over the other, her thoughts disorganized by her panic.

"Wait, the Vault Master has Marinette and wants to _kill_ her _?!_ " Tikki darted out of the satchel, coming face-to-face with the elven archer. "We have to find her! I have to get to her!"

The kwami's alarm did not register with Adrien, who was nearly overcome with the warring emotions churning within him. He was worried for Marinette, who was alone and unconscious somewhere in this strange world with enemies lurking in every corner. He was furious at Vault Master, who had tried to kill the innocent girl without a second thought when all she was trying to do was help. More than anything, though, he was disappointed and frustrated with _himself_.

 _Some hero you are,_ the blond internally mocked himself. _Not only did you fail miserably in protecting your Princess, but she nearly died because she had to protect you instead of guarding herself._ Words like "worthless" and "failure" echoed in his mind as he fought against the urge to sink into despair.

"No no, he didn't _kill_ her. He just _cursed_ her!" Kim's attempts at optimism did little to calm the others.

"Yeah, with 'Eternal Slumber,'" Alya countered. "Sleeping forever sounds a whole lot like death to me!"

"Not in Vaults and Villains, it's not!" Kim replied. "Didn't you hear what Vault Master said?" He looked at Max expectantly, but the sorcerer seemed to be off in his own world of thought. "He's taking her to the Beholder's room! It's just like the game with the sleeping Princess! All we have to do is go there and wake her up, and everything will be fine!"

The dwarf's words pulled Adrien back to reality, an inkling of hope sparking within the darkness that had almost consumed him. "Wait… are you saying we can reverse the curse?" Adrien asked eagerly.

"Sure!" Kim replied brightly. "Max and I had a good shot at it when it was just the two of us! Sneak past the Beholder, roll against charm, wake her up, and we're back in business! And with more of us, it's gonna be even easier! Tell them, Max!"

The whole group turned toward the gnome, who appeared distant and rather shaken. He did not reply.

"Max…?" Kim cocked his head to the side, pondering his friend's silence.

"… He's changing the rules." Max stated simply, as if revealing a great truth.

After a beat of confused silence, Alya cleared her throat. "Who, Vault Master? What do you mean, he's changing the rules? Like he's cheating?"

"No, not cheating." Max shook his head. "The Vault Master writes the campaign, so he is free to create whatever he wants. However, this campaign was already drafted. Kim and I have played through it, we know that it is winnable, at least through the third level, with only the two of us. However, nowhere in the dungeon did we encounter a warlock with a sleeping curse."

Kim blinked. "That's right… I mean, even if he wrote a warlock boss into the dungeon, he can't pop in wherever he wants. We've already played through this part, and there was no boss confrontation. The Vault Master can't edit the dungeon mid-playthrough, that's against the rules!"

"Unless… there is no other option." Again, Max's stated conclusion lacked the necessary explanation to impart any knowledge upon the others.

Still, calling to mind Max's explanation of the game, Adrien understood. "The Vault Master must adapt to the players' actions, no matter how unpredictable. While some details are set in the Manual of the campaign, a good Vault Master has to respond to some unforeseen situations."

Max nodded. "And with a portion of the Manual destroyed…."

"There are large gaps in content, allowing him to alter the original campaign." Adrien finished Max's thought.

"So he can just _change_ it?" Kim gawked. "How is that fair?!"

"Not all of it," Max countered. "Only the parts that have been destroyed."

Alya looked between her companions. "But… we don't know what parts those are."

Max's countenance fell again. "That is correct."

Adrien shook his head. "We don't need to know the whole thing. We just need to find the Beholder's room. He's already told us that's where he's taking Marinette. And we have a map!"

Max clutched the map possessively. "Yes, but if we fail, there are no re-dos. Even knowing the exact layout and content of the room, Kim and I managed only a 34% success rate of reaching the Princess. In those calculations, I allowed for one of us to perish in the effort, assuming that the others could heal the fallen adventurer after the Princess had revived. Additionally, we had the element of surprise on our side in that situation. In this case, the Vault Master will certainly be expecting us. There may even be more monsters than a single Beholder awaiting us in the room, and a Beholder alone is a formidable foe."

Adrien let out an exasperated sigh. _There must be a way. I will not fail her twice!_

Kim's eyes widened with a sudden idea. "What if Adrien changed his class?! Other rogues sneak around better than fencers, right? Maybe we can distract the Beholder while he sneaks in and saves Marinette!"

Max and Alya regarded the two others with surprise, then glanced at Tikki. "But I thought Tikki could only change the class of her lost friend?" Alya pondered aloud.

Kim shook his head. "Not Tikki. Adrien's fairy, Vlad!"

Plagg arose from his hiding spot in the leather satchel at Alya's hip, drifting next to Tikki with an annoyed expression on his face. "Not 'Vlad,' it's _Plagg_."

Max gaped. " _You have a fairy too?!"_

Adrien shrugged sheepishly. "Yeah… sorry I didn't think to mention it?"

Alya blinked. "Oh. My. GOSH! I get it now!" Her previous trepidation temporarily forgotten, the ombre-haired huntress was now grinning ear to ear. "Don't you see?! They're styled after Ladybug and Chat Noir! Ethan must have created them in honor of Paris's heroes! They _must_ be the key to winning… they're superheroes after all!"

Kim pumped a fist in the air. "YESSS! You're totally right! It's a Ladybug and a Black Cat! Too cool, they _must_ be the trick to saving the damsel in distress and defeating the bad guy!"

Plagg and Tikki exchanged glances. The cat-god shrugged.

"Well I don't know anything about that… but I can transform the kid if you want?" Plagg offered.

Recovering from his shock, Max's face took on a determined look. Unfolding the map again, he studied it openly.

The party watched him expectantly, waiting for him to divulge a plan. To their frustration, he wordlessly stared at the map for long moments, occasionally humming a satisfied "Hmmm…" or furrowing his brows in concentration.

Breaking the silence, Kim demanded, "MAX! What are we going to do?!"

Looking up from the map as if just noticing their presence, Max nodded resolutely. "Well initially it was hopeless. The four of us as we are stand less than a 1% chance against the Chamber of the Beholder."

Alya sighed, already familiar with Max's tendency to over-explain everything. "OK fine, but what did you learn? How do we increase our chances of winning?"

Max dropped to one knee and spread the map out before him on the floor for all to see. "As you can see here, the Chamber of the Beholder is clearly marked just off the entrance to the third floor. The stairs to the second floor are in the next room, which should bring us out here." He gestured to the map at a corridor marked '2nd floor entrance' before continuing. "Plagg's class alteration will certainly aid in our ability to infiltrate the room in which Marinette is being held hostage, although I cannot determine precisely our success rate without knowing Adrien's statistics as his new class. Regardless, as all rogues have higher stealth ability than a fencer, let alone a barbarian and a sorcerer, his 2nd class is a beneficial wild card."

Adrien grinned at this, knowing his "second class" wasn't just any old rogue, but a superhero granted the powers of destruction in addition to strength and agility.

"Still, without any defensive capabilities to speak of, it is extremely likely that our attempt at diversion to allow Adrien access will lead to our demise," Max stated.

Knowing his friend all too well, Kim made a turning-wheel motion with his hands. "But….?"

"BUT," Max picked up again, "there is another prisoners' quarters marked on the second floor in an area Kim and I had not previous explored. If we head there first, we may be fortunate enough to discover willing teammates to aid us in the upcoming confrontation!" Max triumphantly dropped a finger on a map-depicted jail block on the second floor.

Adrien stared longingly at the square of space marked "Beholder's Chamber." _Marinette was there_. The timid fencer hadn't taken the time to analyze his emotions, simply accepting the fact that he cared for the girl and wanted her safe, with him. Now, his logical side directed him to follow Max's advice, while his heart urged him carry out some half-witted assault on a demon-inhabited chamber to reunite him with his… _Friend?_ He instinctually knew his feelings for the blue-eyed girl were more than that. Could he even entertain the idea of a relationship, given the burdens of his life? And ignoring that, would she even be interested? He didn't know the first thing about wooing a girlfriend. Still, his cheeks flushed at the idea. _Marinette…. Girlfriend?_

Alya tapped her chin in thought. "So we go to this new jail cell and recruit other party members to walk into almost-certain death in hopes that Romeo here can sneak past some mythical monster and break the sleeping curse on Marinette by some unknown wizardry, all the while praying we don't get killed because that may or may not mean our actual deaths?"

Kim raised a finger in the air. "Not just death! The Beholder can also turn you to stone with it stare. But it does like to eat people!"

Alya sighed.

"I believe in us!" Tikki's small voice was full of determination. "I _know_ we can do this. We just have to be smart about it."

Max nodded. "I agree with Tikki. Ethan would not create a campaign that is impossible to win, even in his akumatized state. Such an endeavor would contradict his very nature. We must continue to look for clues, and make the most of our personal attributes."

Adrien curled his fingers into a fist. "We will get her back. We must. I will not give up until she's safe!"

Kim tapped the blade of his ax into the stones of the floor lightly, causing the metal to ring. "Yeah but… even if we save Marinette, how are we going to fight a dude that can kill us instantly?" he asked quietly.

Alya gathered her courage before replying. "Hey, one step at a time, huh?" Pausing briefly, she grinned. "Besides, Marinette can withstand the attack, and last time she shielded Adrien from it! All the more reason to concentrate on saving her first. Her skills can protect us from that cheap-A move!"

"Indeed," Max agreed. "And with any luck, we will find helpful new allies on the second floor…. Perhaps even Tikki's associate?"

Tikki plastered a hopeful grin on her face despite knowing that her wielder would certainly not be found in the jail cell. _That's kind of the whole problem…_

Adrien, however, perked at the thought. "YES! She'll definitely know what to do!" When the group turned to him questioningly, he amended, "I mean, we'll have a better chance with another dual-class player is all... I hope."

Kim shifted his weight in anticipation as he turned back toward Max. "So! What are our chances of saving Marinette if we do… all the stuff we just said?"

Max cleared his throat gruffly, hesitating. Then, after a moment, he replied, "I cannot reliably predict our chances of success based on the current information. Perhaps when we establish our party I can more accurately assess our strength." He paused before adding, "In any case, this is our most beneficial course of action, and undoubtedly the best option."

Ever the blunt one, Alya rephrased. "So you're saying we don't really have a choice."

Kim shook his head. "In this game, there's always a choice. What if we find another healer in the jail block? Could we just skip Marinette and go after the boss?"

"NO!" Adrien, Alya, and Tikki all said in unison.

"OK, OK! It was just a thought…" Kim mumbled as he hung his head.

Max nodded. "I would have to agree. Although it theoretically wouldn't matter whether or not we rescue individual characters so long as we are ultimately successful, we need all the experience we can acquire. Defeating a mini-boss such as a Beholder would be prudent to advance out character stats. Besides, Marinette is a naturally skilled cleric; I highly doubt we would find better."

"YEAH!" Alya declared. "AND, she's my friend, so if you want my help we are not leaving her with some creepy monster!"

"So it's a plan, then?" Adrien squared his shoulders as he gestured to the map. "We head up to the second floor, investigate the jail block here for more party members, and then rescue the Princess from the Beholder Chamber, here?"

Alya smirked at him. "… I'm totally telling her you called her that."

Adrien blushed. "Y-You—I just, …you know what I mean!"

Max nodded. "We will devise a strategy when we know more, but the infiltration will likely be left up to your rogue-self, Adrien. Can you handle it?"

"I'll do anything." Adrien confirmed. "Just leave it to me."

Alya quirked an eyebrow at the young model again. She had never seen him behave this way before… and she truly wished she had video capabilities to document and show Mari. _While a death curse wouldn't kill her, her crush going all white-knight for her just might!_

"Alright team!" Tikki declared in her most inspirational tone. "To the second floor!"

* * *

 _Author's Note: Hi everyone! Thank you so much for your likes and reviews! (PS Diane definitely a typo... while I do love to drop hints, that wasn't one of them XD Thanks for pointing it out, it's fixed now!) It's great to hear that both D &D fans and strangers to the game are enjoying the story! This chapter is a little shorter, but it allows me to publish faster :) Gotta admit, it's a little strange writing Ladybug without Marinette. TO THE SECOND FLOOR!  
_


	9. Onward and Upward

Chapter 9:

Kim slammed the heavy metal door behind the group with a loud _clang_ , effectively sealing out the noxious smell of the putrid stairwell, as the party surveyed the room Max had denoted as the "Second Floor Entrance."

In contrast to the dank lower level, with its mostly dirt floors and dimly lit rooms, this chamber appeared almost like a room in a medieval castle that had fallen into disrepair. The floor was smooth, tightly-lain gray stone, worn dull with decades of footfalls. Tattered banners depicting a black dragon crest overlying a deep purple background hung on the wall flanking a tall, thin window: the first source of natural light the group had come upon since entering the dungeon. The thin slit held no windowpane, allowing a brisk chill into the room as well as a slash of light. A thick curtain of dust could be seen dancing through the sliver of light, kicked up by the sudden intrusion of the party. Several crates sat against the walls, some of which were broken into piles of splintered wood, others stacked almost to the ceiling.

While the natural light was certainly a welcome change, its sparsity also cast the far end of the room into suspiciously deep shadow. The group exchanged knowing glances. Even Alya, who was entirely new to the dungeon crawler experience, was already reaching to her quiver to ready an arrow.

As Adrien stepped behind one of the taller stacks of crates, his rapier in hand, Kim noticed that an unnatural shadow seemed to fall upon him, partially obscuring him from view.

 _Interesting,_ the dwarf warrior thought. _Adrien's sneak ability actually changes what he looks like!_ Kim gripped his ax, a smile wide on his face, contemplating just how badass he must look when he goes full-rage. _What had Alya called him? A destructive force of absolute mayhem?_ Yup, he could live with that.

Max's eyes sparked red as his hands wove around each other in a complex dance only he understood, a churning ball of flame materializing between them.

After giving the satchel on her hip containing their small companions a reassuring pat, Alya notched her arrow- one tipped with a speckled, surprisingly clean white feather that she had deemed her favorite—before catching Kim's eye. He grinned at her ready stance before turning his attention to Max. Adrien, too, looked over his shoulder, waiting for Max's signal.

His eyes glowing like embers to match the flickering orange of his conjured fireball, Max gave a curt nod. Adrien's attention snapped forward as he sank into a crouch, ready to strike, as Max launched the fireball toward the far end of the room. Without hesitation, Kim chased after the fireball, raising his ax above his head, ready to strike whatever the burning light revealed to be lurking there. Alya flanked him a few steps behind, her right arm pulling the bowstring taught.

Max's fire crashed into the far wall, bathing the room in light and revealing the horde of enormous rats that had hidden in the shadows. Their fat, dirty bodies writhed around each other, making it impossible to discern their number. They were gathered around something, feasting greedily, and were not prepared for the assault that was now directed at them. Alya loosed her arrow, nailing one of the creatures right through the eye, killing it before it had a chance to react. Reaching for another arrow, she nimbly leapt backward several feet into the air without even glancing back, intuitively aware of her surroundings. Landing atop the wooden crate behind her, she perched there, preparing for her next strike.

As the creature on top of the heap cocked its head up in alarm, Kim crashed his ax down on the pile, destroying several of the creatures and sending the rest into a hasty retreat. As three of the beasts attempted to run past him, Adrien leapt from his hiding place to attack. Catching them off-guard, he dispatched all three with a quick flourish of his rapier, reflexively wiping the blade clean on his pants before re-sheathing it despite the fact that the blood would dissolve on its own.

Some of the creatures attempted to hide in one of the broken crates, which Max set aflame with an easy flick of his hand. They did not emerge from the pyre. The remaining vermin attempted to scatter in various directions, but Alya easily picked them off one-by-one from her vantage atop the crate.

The entire confrontation was over in seconds. When the corpses began to dissolve, each member of the party felt a strange power burn inside them as the experience gained from the fight increased their strength. Max hummed with satisfaction as Kim let out a victorious bellow. Alya chuckled lightly as she descended her perch with a gratuitous front flip to pluck her used arrows from the ground, feeling as if she could dance across the walls as easily as take a step.

Adrien, however, tensed. His heightened power only redoubled his eagerness to find Marinette, and to rend whatever demon was holding her limb from limb. He took a steadying breath, unaccustomed to such strong impulses, to such an urgent need to act. He had stopped questioning his need to protect her and simply accepted it as what he must do. _I'm coming Marinette… just hold on._

Moving toward the door, the group had to step over the decaying corpse that the rats had been feeding upon. The protruding bones were mostly devoid of flesh and muscle, courtesy of the rats, but the tattered remains of clothing remained on the distinctly humanoid form. Each member of the party did so without a word, having reached a silent agreement that they would rather not ponder whether or not the unlucky being had been one of their classmates.

The party fought through the next several rooms, encountering more enormous rats and a few angry kobolds, in a similar fashion, mounting an aggressive offense with the knowledge that their defense was severely lacking. With the exception of one glancing blow from a kobold, leaving Kim with a nasty-looking gash on his right shoulder, the party was largely successful in their "kill them all before they can fight back" approach. The deft kobold who had managed to attack Kim paid for it with his life, as the painful wound sent Kim into a rage that lead to the annihilation of not only it, but all the creatures in the following room as well.

Pushing open the double doors leading to the second floor cellblock, the party expected to be met with the "guard," whose presence was indicated on Max's map. The expansive hallway was windowless, both walls lined entirely with cells, the space lit by torches interspersed between them. Just inside the door was a small table and stool. A ring of rusty keys sat unguarded next to a ledger of some sort, its pages filled with some illegible scribbles. The torch that hung directly above the table was the only one in the room that was currently unlit, although tendrils of smoke still snaked from it.

The group hesitated in the doorway, each of their thoughts landing on a single word: _ambush._

Max brought a finger to his lips in the universal sign for quiet as they strained to listen for anything that might reveal a hidden foe. Alya shifted on her feet. From outside the room, her range was severely limited, as she would have to shoot through the open doorway to strike anything inside. This left an uncomfortable portion of the room inaccessible to her archery skills. Her fingers twitched, pulling her readied arrow against the bowstring as if absently testing its strength.

Kim took a deep breath. Although he was an offensive character, he knew he still had the best defense of the group—if he could keep his rage in check. He brought his ax in front of him: a defense stance prepared to deflect attackers rather than his usual over-the-head, head-cracking attack posture. Glancing back, he noted that though he was silent, Max's eyes were burning, his palms glowing red. Alya held an arrow ready in her bow but shifted her weight nervously, clearly uncomfortable with her current vantage, and Adrien was…. _Gone?_

Kim blinked. The fencer had just been standing beside Alya. Had his stealth capabilities improved to the point where he could be _invisible?_ Was that even possible?

Max glanced in the direction of Kim's questioning gaze, to the spot where Adrien had once stood. Inhaling sharply, he too seemed unsure of what to make of the situation. Meeting Kim's eyes, he gave a nod.

 _Go time._ As Kim stepped through the doorway, Max and Alya followed, almost shoulder to shoulder, ready to fight. The trio crossed the threshold unimpeded. There was no attack; no movement at all from the expanse of cells. Once Alya was entirely in the room, she turned a full circle, now able to survey the space in its entirety. Nothing.

The group exchanged glances. The fire fading from his eyes a bit, Max shrugged. Kim took a few steps forward. "Hello?" the dwarf called, his ax still held in front of him. "Adrien, are you in here?"

"OH! Heeeeeelp!" a familiar whiny voice echoed back from somewhere down the hall. "It's me, Chloe Bourgeois! The daughter of Mayor Bourgeois! Please, help me!"

The group let out a collective groan before more voices began calling from the darkness.

"Is someone there?"

"We're stuck in here!"

"Who's there?! Don't hurt me!"

"We're locked in, can you help us?"

" _What's going on?!"_

Kim went for the keys on the desk before Max could call out a warning. As soon as the dwarven warrior had reached the desk, the goblin guard descended upon him from his hiding place, clinging to the wall in the shadows above the extinguished torch. Claws beared, the pointed-eared, humanoid creature landed on Kim's back, digging its claws into his skin to scramble higher, raking scratches across Kim's back as he climbed. As the burly dwarf whirled around in surprise, dropping his ax to try to grab at the creature, Max and Alya could see the metallic glint of the goblin's serrated dagger as the creature brought it to Kim's throat from behind with daunting speed.

As the cold metal pressed against his exposed throat, Kim froze in fear, his pleading eyes wide. Max and Alya were poised to attack, but with the creature on their companion's back as Kim faced them, neither had a clear shot. They were helpless. The two ranged attackers wouldn't stand a chance against the impossibly quick, dagger-wielding goblin.

 _GAME OVER._

But nothing happened. The three friends stood, staring at each other, for an interminable moment. Then, the dagger eased and clattered to the ground, the grey, mottled-skinned goblin's grip having gone slack. The creature slid from Kim's back, lifeless, into the growing pool of its own dark green blood that had begun to collect at Kim's feet. As it crumpled to the ground, the goblin's head lulled, having been nearly completely severed from behind.

Raising her eyes from the disgusting creature on the floor, Alya looked over the shoulder of the still-stunned, and now visibly shaking, dwarf. Adrien's face flickered in the torch light, the specks of green blood that spattered his face catching the light, seeming to match the emerald green of his eyes that still hid in the shadows. The blond let out the shaky breath he had been holding, finally lowering the rapier he still held extended to the side after completing the fatal slash.

"A-Adrien?!" Alya's mouth hung open as the boy took a step forward to stand beside Kim, coming fully in the light.

Max stared at him, just as stunned. After a moment, his eyebrows pinched together. "What were you _thinking?!_ " The gnome sorcerer demanded in a scolding tone.

Kim, recovering from his near-death encounter, wrapped his thick arms around Adrien's waist (as the height difference between the two dictated) and lifted him clear off the ground in a giant bear hug. "HOLY SHIT DUDE THAT WAS AWESOME!" the surly dwarf exclaimed.

When the dwarf released his vice-like hug, Adrien raised a hand to the back of his neck, the flecks of blood vanishing from his face. "Well, uh…" he said, a bit hesitantly. "The only way I could really help is if I can surprise attack, so I hid under the desk! I would have told you, but I didn't want the guard to hear if he was close. I was just about to follow you toward the cells when Kim turned back and… well you know."

Kim nodded excitedly. "You had me scared, man! Wish I was in on it. Teamwork!" He raised a beefy hand up for a high five.

Alya was grinning now too. While she excelled in open spaces, Adrien dominated in tight, cluttered spaces. Their team was stacking up to be pretty great, even without Marinette's amazing defensive capabilities. Like true super heroes! _Maybe they would be able to save the day after all! Would she interview_ herself _when all this was through?_

Max was not amused. "We were all aware that there would be a guard in this room as we approached! If you had devised a strategy to hide under stealth ahead of us, you should have illustrated your plan to the group before we entered! We could have all been _killed._ "

Adrien stiffened. Being scolded was all-too familiar to him, and like always, it made him feel like a child: small, weak, and foolish. Besides, Max had a point. In truth, he had come up with the idea to hide only after peeking into the room. He had figured that the guard was lying in wait when he saw that the torch above the desk appeared to have been recently extinguished, and the darkened space under the desk provided the perfect hiding place. So he hid. When at first nothing happened, he had thought perhaps the guard had fled. When the creature attacked Kim, though, a fierce determination had shot through him. When he saw his opportunity, it was as if by instinct that he dove for the creature. No thought had gone into the attack: the moment he had processed that he had an opening for a back attack, he was already moving. Now, in hindsight, he was painfully aware that if his attack would have been anything short of fatal, Kim would likely be dead. The creature moved with such incredible speed that Adrien hadn't even seen the dagger in its hand until after he had struck. In all likelihood, they would _all_ be dead. _And Marinette…_

"Hey, cut him some slack!" Kim defended. "He just saved our butts! We don't all analyze every detail like you do, you know. Some of us work better thinking on the fly!"

Alya raised a brow at this. "But… don't you essentially abandon all thought of any kind when you go Berserker-mode?"

Kim nodded as if she had supported his point. "Exactly!"

Max paused for a moment, and then sighed. "I apologize Adrien, perhaps I reacted too harshly… and my tone was inappropriate for addressing a friend and teammate. Thank you, your skills are deeply appreciated."

Adrien felt the tension ease from him. Never before had the person scolding him _apologized_. And Max had addressed him as a friend?

"Helllllooooo?!" Chloe's unmistakable voice came echoing through the room again. "What's taking you so long?"

Alya moaned. "Do we _have_ to let her out?"

* * *

Using the keyring discovered on the guard's desk, the group began to unlock the cells. The first few cells contained Ivan, Mylene, and several students from the first-year class who had shared the Study Hall period with them. To their surprise, all but Ivan appeared to be their normal selves, unchanged by the akuma transformation. Ivan, however, was even taller than his normally towering frame; over 8 feet in height, easily. Or he would be if he had room to stand up. While the other students were dressed in their normal clothes (albeit slightly dirty from their time in the jail cells), Ivan was in tattered, ragged clothes that were several sizes too small for him, giving him the appearance of a flesh-toned Hulk.

Toward the back of the room after passing several empty cells, they came upon a cell containing two more transformed students. They appeared to be dwarves, like Kim, with short, thick bodies and bearded faces. However, they were both decidedly ugly, with bulbous noses and hair sprouting from their ears. Their faces each held a permanent scowl, and they had a pungent smell to them that was reminiscent of a wet dog. One of the creatures had long, bleach-white hair that was inexplicably pulled into a pristine ponytail.

"Well?! What are you waiting for, let me out!" the ponytailed one demanded.

The group stared, wide-eyed and silent for a moment, before Alya burst out in a fit of laughter.

"HO-LY COW… " Alya wrapped her arms around her exposed stomach, tears appearing at the sides of her eyes as she nearly doubled over from laughter. "Is that… CHLOE?"

The grotesque creature huffed. "Yeah what of it? You got transformed too, shut up!"

Adrien unsuccessfully stifled his own chuckle as he worked the key into the lock, freeing them. "Yeah but Chlo… you… don't look like yourself!"

The surprised expression on the creature's face somehow made it look even more hideous, as it's dirty, stubby-fingered hands flew to its hair. "Ohmigod is it… my _hair?"_ dwarf-Chloe shrieked.

The other creature in the cell also grabbed at its hair, mimicking the shriek emitted from Chloe.

"AAANNND we've found Sabrina," Alya added, with an exaggerated gesture of introduction.

"Dudes, over here! Don't forget about me!" Nino's voice came from the cell opposite the dwarven versions of the terrible twosome.

Whirling around at the sound of his friend's voice, Adrien grinned as he recognized the dark-skinned DJ. Releasing him from the cell, the friends shared their unique fist-bump high five before Adrien smirked, "Interesting choice in fashion, Nino."

Nino wore a bright blue silk shirt with billowing sleeves that was open across the chest, tucked into tight-fitting black leather pants that shone as if freshly oiled. The black doublet he wore was accented with ornate red and gold embroidery, matching the accents on his boots featuring a slight heel that clicked against the stone floor as he walked. His trademark ballcap was replaced by a red feathered cap that reminded Alya of Peter Pan. His beloved oversized headphones had been replaced by an orangey-stained wooden lute, strapped across his back much the same way Alya wore her quiver. _Strange, yes definitely, but the overall effect was rather dashing,_ the elvish girl thought, her long, pointed ear twitching.

Without missing a beat, Nino replied, "I could say the same for you! Are you such a pretty boy that akuma-you doesn't even wear a shirt?!" The bard playfully shoved his friend by the shoulder.

"It appears," Max concluded after pondering the newly-discovered classmates, "that the only individuals affected by the transformation are those that Ethan views as characters. In that sense, it is not remarkable that Kim and I appear as exact replicas of our Vaults and Villains champions. Marinette was viewed as a healing defender because she leapt to our aid when the game was destroyed. As Ethan had just met Adrien, he probably thinks of him as a mystery, hence the rogue persona. Besides, the whole school knows he's on the fencing team, further solidifying the role. Alya's tendency to put herself in danger for the perfect shot is known to all of Paris at this point, and Nino is a popular DJ after his victory on _The Challenge_. As for Chloe… I would think that's obvious?"

Alya seemed about to question this explanation, but after a moment's thought, shrugged in acceptance. "But what about Ivan? Does Ethan even _know_ him?" she asked, side-eyeing her massive classmate.

Kim laughed. "Maybe not, but you don't have to know him to pin him as the giant! … No offense, bro."

"It's OK, I know I'm tall!" Ivan replied, his voice booming. When he saw Mylene jump in surprise at the sudden loud noise, he added in a forced whisper: "Sorry Mylene!"

The rainbow-haired girl just grinned at him. Normally, her short stature barely reached his chest. Now, his seated height matched her standing height. "Don't worry Ivan, you just startled me is all!" She stated with a soft smile, wrapping her arms around his massive bicep in a hug.

Adrien cleared his throat, tamping the unexpected jealousy that arose from the pair's display of affection. "So… I don't supposed any of you would be willing to help us fight the Vault Master?"

Most of the students avoided his eyes, embarrassed to show their fear. Chloe and Sabrina turned away deliberately with matching "Hrumph!"s.

Mylene was the first to reply. "I'm sorry Adrien, but I don't have special powers like you guys. I feel like I would just get in the way."

Ivan nodded. Keeping his voice quiet so as not to startle Mylene, he said, "I would, but…" he glanced at the tiny girl at his side. "I want to protect Mylene. There was some demon thing in here a little bit ago, and if I leave, she'll be defenseless."

"I'll go!" Nino offered excitedly. "I got transformed too! But… uh...," he swung the lute around to his front, looking at it questioningly. "I don't supposed you need a musician?"

Max shot him a knowing grin. "Not a musician, a _bard!_ And yes, we do! _"_


	10. Music, Maestro

Chapter 10:

The group retreated from the jailblock in search of better light, leaving Ivan in charge of protecting the newly-freed students. After Max caught Nino up to speed on the logistics of the game, including the caveat that their foe may alter the rules in unexpected ways and the resulting curse on Marinette, he had begun to explain the mechanics of the bard class.

"So," Nino repeated, making sure he understood, "you're saying that the songs that I play make you guys better fighters?"

"Essentially, yes," Max nodded, "but each song is limited in its effect, and of course you can only play one song at a time."

Nino looked puzzled. "But… what songs do I play?"

This question stumped even Max. "I'm… not entirely certain. I assumed that, as a Bard, you would simply know songs, just as Alya inherently knows archery."

"Maybe just try playing that guitar thing while reciting a poem?" Kim offered. "Bards always seem to talk like Shakespeare, maybe that will work?"

Nino seemed deep in thought while the group watched him with interest.

"I got it!" Clearing his throat for effect, Nino strummed a few chords on the lute as he began. "There once was a man from Nantucket, whose—"

"NOOOOO!" Alya, Kim, and Adrien all dove for Nino in an attempt to shut him up, knocking him to the ground, as Max stood bewildered. As Kim and Adrien stood, brushing the dust from themselves with matching crimson cheeks, Alya knelt over the startled bard, her hand clasped to his mouth.

"Sing about an effect that HELPS us, Nino!" Alya hissed through gritted teeth. She had noted the mischievous glimmer in his eyes, and was none-too-keen to be surrounded by hideously disfigured men.

Chuckling lightly, he pushed her hand away. "Well I would say that's a matter of opin—" Alya clamped her hand down again with a fierce glare. He sighed, raising his palms in a defeated gesture. Against her hand, he mumbled, "Fine, fine. Let me think." Narrowing her eyes warily, Alya finally released him, allowing him to stand.

More contemplative silence, although the group was now on high alert to intervene if necessary.

"Oh!" Nino's expression lit up. "I got something good!"

Adrien quirked a brow at him, afraid to ask.

Waving off their misgivings, the bard set to his instrument. As he began to strum the melody of a familiar song, the group exchanged expectant glances. Apparently Nino's bard skills granted him the ability to play this strange instrument, and play it well. They all recognized the song immediately: an R. Kelly ballad from before all the drama.

After playing through the first verse, Nino began to sing, using the instrument to accompany his vocals.

" _If I can see it, then I can be it. If I just believe it, there's nothing to it…"_

Alya's mouth hung open. His voice was a smooth timber that reverberated through her, making her want to sigh. _Had he always been able to sing like that? Or is it an effect of the character?_ She hoped it was the former, because she would happily listen to that voice until the end of time, and she hoped to do so outside some creepy akuma dungeon.

" _I believe I can fly. I believe I can touch the sky. I think about it every night and day, spread my wings and fly away…"_

As Nino started into the chorus, Alya's heart did a flip, similar to the feeling she got when an airplane lost altitude suddenly. The unexpected feeling caused her to shudder a bit. Just as she affirmed to keep a level head, her feet solidly on the earth, and not be swept into his song like some swooning lovesick preteen, she had another revelation: her feet were not on the ground at all, but several inches above it.

The group exchanged amazed expressions as they effortlessly hovered; all except Nino, who seemed too lost in the song to realize that anything out of the ordinary was happening.

" _I believe I can soar, see me runnin' through that open door. I believe I can fly…"_

Max stepped through the air as if ascending a staircase. While he felt no resistance under his feet, he ascended as if climbing through nothing. His mouth moved to make some remark, but no sound came out. Even Xantemak the Enlightened was at a loss for words.

" _I believe I can fly."_

Kim used his ax to push off the ground, sending himself careening toward the far end of the room as if entirely weightless. Adrien moved several feet straight up by performing what looked like a midair breaststroke, and Alya stretched a toe toward the ground as if to test its temperature.

" _I believe I can fly."_

As the last notes hung in the air, Nino finally opened his eyes. Seeing his friends at various elevations scattered throughout the room, he let out a whoop.

"AWESOME!"

Nino and Alya settled to the floor, having not gone far, as the others crashed to the ground.

Nino brought his clasped fists to his face, trying to stifle his laughter, before choking out "Sorry, dudes!"

Adrien laughed. "That's one hell of a _party_ trick!" He punned.

Max shook his head, chuckling lightly. "Now if we can only _transpose_ that skill into battle…"

Kim, the only adventurer who did _not_ manage to land right-side-up, rolled into a sitting position. "I was just getting the hang of it! I want a redo…err, Encore!" He exclaimed.

* * *

A short while later, the group gathered, heads bent, around Max's dungeon map to work out a plan. The kwamis had emerged to peer at the map as well, Tikki on Alya's shoulder and Plagg on Adrien's, to offer any aid they could. Unfortunately, Tikki was out of her element, and Plagg wasn't too thrilled about the situation in general. Adrien again took note of Tikki's particular inclination toward Alya before reminding himself that she had been disqualified as a potential Ladybug.

"There appear to be two separate routes to the Chamber of the Beholder, located near the entrance to the third floor. The main access route leads us through here…" Max traced the route with his finger, "past a few goblin sentries, into the cursed backwards room that perplexed us last time, through the Pit of Mire, to meet the guards, here." Max tapped a room marked _3_ _rd_ _Floor Entrance_ on the map.

"Does that mean no more enormous rats?" Alya asked hopefully.

Max shook his head. "At this point, rats and kobolds spawn randomly in each room based on a dice ro—" he paused. "Based on luck," he amended. "It is in our best interest to assume each room will have such lower-leveled enemies in addition to those indicated. Which brings me to this route's obvious drawback: it is long. Nino and I will certainly have to rest at least once along the way to recover our magic, leaving us vulnerable to ambush from the many adjacent rooms and prolonging the time to reach Marinette."

Adrien winced. He hated the thought of her, cursed into eternal sleep, completely at the mercy of whatever demons happened to come across her. _If anybody, or any_ thing _, lays a hand on her…_

Kim pointed to a long, thin hallway depicted on the other side of the map. "What about here? This hallway bypasses all that stuff," he waved his other hand to gesture to the majority of the map, "and leads to another staircase: this 'Back Passageway.' It's only a few rooms away from the Beholder's Chamber."

"And the Goblin Archers that apparently chill in that hallway don't bother you?" Nino asked.

Alya peered at Kim's indicated route as well, seemingly unfazed by the threat of archers. "And what does this double bar on the door mean? With a leaf next to it?"

Max's mouth tugged into a frown. "The double-barred doors usually indicate an impassable route unless a certain condition is met. What the leaf icon indicates, I couldn't say. Perhaps a druid skill of some sort?"

Adrien finally spoke up. "If we only have to get through that hallway, can't we just see for ourselves? If it's truly impassable, we can just turn around and go the long way… if we have to."

Max glanced up from the map to meet the questioning eyes of a dwarf, an elf, two humans, and two fairies, each of their expressions hopeful. In truth, Max was anxious to get out of this dungeon as well. As much as the others seemed to be rising to the various challenges, he just couldn't seem to shake this sense of lingering dread, of imminent failure, of their impending doom. Willing the trepidation out of his voice, he replied simply: "I supposed it would be prudent to investigate."

"Alright!" Kim exclaimed with a pump of his fist.

With a wide grin and a few strokes of his lute, Nino belted, "Luck be a Lady tonight!"

Alya giggled and shoved him playfully.

"Hey, it's working!" laughed Nino, casting Alya a goofy grin.

Max sighed, wishing that Nino had continued playing. If they were going to face the Beholder, they would need all the luck they could get.

* * *

The group had no problem reaching the long hallway, defeating the weak enemies in the rooms leading there easily while Nino serenaded them with an instrumental version of "We Are the Champions." Pushing open the doors to the hallway, Alya gasped.

The long, narrow room reminded her of a _literal_ gauntlet. It must have stretched for at least 30 yards, flanked on either side with countless tall, narrow windows that allowed bright white light to pierce the darkness. Above each window, near the domed ceiling, jutted a small wooden shelf, upon most of which sat sallow-skinned goblins, bows at the ready.

As Kim walked up to stand beside her and gaze into the room, Alya noticed another detail: movement. It appeared that the small ledges may have been connected by passageways behind the walls, as she would watch the creatures slink backward, disappear from view, and reappear at another lookout. Moving targets with hiding places would be difficult to hit, _especially_ considering she would have to look directly into the sunlight to do it.

"Sheesh… there's like a million of them." Alya lamented.

Kim sulked. "They're too high up…" Then his eyes lit up. "OH, Nino you can fly me!"

Max chuckled. "You'd look like a pin cushion before you get an inch off the ground!"

Adrien glanced into the room. "I might be able to sneak in… with Plagg's help. Ignore them all and walk right through!"

Alya shook her head. "No good. Even if you do make it, there's some sort of barricade on the far door, remember?"

Adrien hadn't forgotten, he was just hoping he could Cataclysm whatever it was and call it a day.

"And besides," the archer continued, "Even if you did get the door open, how would we follow you? Unless you know a catchy teleportation tune Nino, I think that's a no go."

Max's hands began to sizzle as he called his fire. The huddle gathered at the doorway separated, allowing him to pass, as he turned his palms around each other, gathering the fire that built.

"I do love when they build things out of wood…" Max said under his breath with a decidedly wicked tone. With that, he threw both his arm in front of him and into the room, sending the fireball toward the nearest lookout perch.

Even before the spell could reach its destination, a volley of arrows rained down from above. Max jerked his hands back just in time to save them from being skewered. The fireball did, however, make contact with the wooden platform, causing it to burst into flame. The creature perched atop it let out a shriek, scrambling back in toward the wall. A moment later, a somewhat charred-appearing goblin emerged on the next platform, a scowl on its face, as it spat angry hisses toward the door.

"I dunno dude, that seemed kinda close," Nino said sheepishly, hesitant to admonish Max on his gaming prowess.

"Even if you were able to destroy every platform, they would just run back into the tunnels and shoot from there," Adrien noted.

Kim glared up at the array of connected lookouts. "If only we could get a melee fighter up there," he pondered, a note of longing in his voice. "Adrien, your class is agile, right?"

Adrien nodded. "Yeah, but I don't know if I can climb those walls. There aren't any holds to speak of, and besides…. Archers."

Max nodded. "Alya and I could mount a strong offensive from the ground… were we not forced to face that volley of arrows in the process."

Kim shook his head. "If we only had Marinette's shield, this would be cake. Man, I miss that chipper little cleric at times like these!"

Unbidden, an image arose in Adrien's mind: Marinette's smiling face, her clear blue eyes twinkling, a hint of a blush touching her freckled cheeks. His heart ached.

Nino cleared his throat. "I… may have a solution. To the arrows I mean. But it's going to take a lot of focus…"

They all turned to face him, but Nino locked eyes with Alya. "You're gonna have to trust me. And… no gloating OK?" A blush burned his features as he held her eyes.

"O..K….?" Alya said hesitantly.

Nino broke eye contact and fiddled with the pegs on his instrument. "So… do you remember that movie you made me watch, about the girls' a capella group? The one that you thanked me profusely for sitting through with you even though it was a 'chick flick?'"

Alya was officially confused. "You mean _Pitch Perfect?_ "

Nino glanced at Adrien, as if ashamed to be confessing in front of his best friend, before returning his gaze to Alya. "Well I might have actually really liked it and bought the sound track and anyway I think I have a song!" Without waiting for her response, Nino tenderly plucked out a slightly altered version of David Guetta's "Titanium."

" _I shout it out, but you can't hear a word you say. I'm talking loud, not saying much…"_

Alya's eyes widened. "Wait… you learned _Titanium?_ "

As the bard continued to sing…

" _I'm criticized, but all their arrows ricochet. They shoot us down, but we get up…"_

…the entire group watched in fascination as the tips of Alya's boots appeared to be engulfed by liquid mercury, the metal ascending past her ankles to her calves, coating her in a metallic sheen. Soon, the tips of her fingers were similarly enveloped, the liquid metal traveling with quickening speed up both arms to converge on her torso. Her body entirely encased, the metal continued to consume her face, coating even her hair, ending at the tips of her long, elven ears. Alya blinked, looking very much like the elvish version of Metal Mario. Titanium Alya.

As Adrien and Max stared wordlessly, Kim murmured: "I take back every bad thing I ever said about bards."

Nino's eyes, still focused on Alya, cast her a more determined look.

" _You're arrowproof, nothing to lose! Fire away, fire away!"_

Turning on her heels, Alya took several strides forward until she stood in the open doorway. Her keen ears could appreciate the quiet _irk_ of several dozen bowstrings pulling taught in unison. With only the briefest hesitation, she stepped through the threshold.

 _Whoosh._ Dozens of arrows were released from above. Alya, standing her ground just inside the door, closed her eyes. _Trust._

 _Tink tin-tink tink tink!_ The arrows bounced off the metal-encased archer, falling harmlessly to the ground around her.

" _Ricochet! Now take your aim…. Fire away, fire away!"_ Nino's voice encouraged.

Opening her eyes, a victorious grin on her gleaming silver face, Alya bent to pick up a handful of arrows from the ground. Depositing all but one into her quiver, she notched the remaining arrow into her bow and drew back the string, raising the weapon toward one of the befuddled goblin archers.

"My turn!" She declared, firing the arrow to strike the creature between the eyes. The room fell into a stunned silence ,save Nino's singing, as the creature lulled backward, its lifeless form crashing to the ground below.

All at once, a cacophony of panicked shrieks echoed through the hallway as the goblins launched into a flurry of motion. Some fired more arrows in Alya's direction, but as before, those that struck were deflected harmlessly away. Alya countered with a barrage of her own, firing arrow after arrow in rapid succession as she strode down the length of the hallway. With plenty of arrows littering the ground around her, the elvish archer no longer worried about conserving her ammunition. Most of the creatures retreated into the hallways hidden behind the walls, but their numbers overwhelmed the limited space, forcing several of them into Alya's deadly range. As she struck down enemy after enemy, Alya delightedly sung along with Nino—

" _You shoot me down, but I won't fall, I am titanium!"_

Soon, the creatures abandoned their futile offense altogether, climbing over each other in an attempt to escape through the single, small exit passage tucked into the far corner of the room beyond the last lookout. The threat of the arrow barrage quelled, the rest of the party entered behind Alya, their weapons at the ready, as the kwamis phased into the safety of the satchel at her hip.

With no other course of action, a few of the goblins turned to attack the vulnerable party members. Those that attempted to fire from the windows were quickly picked off by Alya and Max, with Kim and Adrien swiftly dispatching those foolish enough to drop into the hallway. With each enemy felled, the party members felt a little stronger, a second faster, an ounce more powerful… and increasingly more like the warriors they embodied.

By the time Nino's song concluded, dissolving goblin bodies littered the floor and clogged the passages, the last living goblin having sealed the tiny passage exit behind itself. As the last note faded, so too did Alya's metallic sheen, returning her to her former flesh and leather form. Nino wiped the sweat from his face, looking like he had just run a marathon rather than sung a song.

"Dude," the bard exhaled, "magic is like… _hard_."

As they approached the far side of the room, taking in the expansive doors indicated by the double bars on the map, Adrien said, "Well, I don't think you're going to be able to rest just yet."

Although the frame of the massive doors was visible, the doors themselves were overgrown with writhing, thorny vines, slithering over each other like snakes. In several places, bivalved appendages resembling Venus fly traps opened wide at their approach, the purple-red centers oozing some viscous yellow liquid and rimmed with wicked-looking teeth, each one easily large enough to swallow a human whole.

"Yuck, no thank you!" Alya remarked, firing a steel-tipped arrow at one of the waiting traps.

The jaws of the appendage clamped on the arrow like a bear trap, withdrawing slightly into the mass of wriggling vines with its catch. After a few moments, the trap emerged again, easing open. The shaft of the arrow was completely dissolved, leaving only the arrowhead, which dropped to the ground in a glob of the yellow mucous-like substance.

"Alright then. Who's up next?" the archer questioned the stunned group.

* * *

 _Author's Note: Sorry for the update delay all! I started writing some content for future chapters as the mood struck and ended up working backward a little... Good news, the next chapter should be out relatively soon! PS I have too much fun writing Bard Nino XD_


	11. The Beholder's Chamber

Chapter 11:

Max launched a molten fireball at the door, which exploded on contact, charring a mass of vines and earning a screech from the massive plant-like creature blocking their path. As the destroyed area fell away, more vines grew in to fill the hole he had created. His brows knitting together in concentration, Max redoubled his efforts, conjuring a larger fireball as he searched for a potential weak spot.

Kim growled, raising his ax above his head defiantly as he stepped forward. The gaping jaws of the traps pivoted menacingly to face the dwarf; a purposeful, calculated movement among the haphazardly twisting vines as if they were lying in wait. With Kim effectively distracting the creature, Adrien leapt forward, slicing through a large stem that had supported one of the jaw traps with a vertical slash before it could register his oncoming attack. The mess of vines shrieked as the severed trap fell to the ground, reflexively clamping shut as more slimy yellow liquid spilled from the end of the severed vine. A moment after the dismembered clamshell structure hit the ground, it snapped open again, launching itself toward the surprised fencer. Alya screamed in surprise.

Adrien was caught off guard, but his reflexes were quick, allowing him to leap backward and out of reach of the snapping jaws of the plant. Before it could charge again, Kim's ax descended upon it, the brutal strike cutting it in two. The two halves twitched violently, opening and closing several times, before finally growing still.

The writhing vines produced an audible hiss as they slid over one another, the bud of a new jaw trap beginning to form when the previous one had been detached.

Max was breathing heavily as he focused his power into the flaming sphere in front of him. "We have to destroy the whole thing, all at once, or it will regenerate," he informed the others. "If I can just… gather enough power…." Flames arced from the beachball-sized conflagration, back into Max's searing palms as he focused his will. The fiery sphere, a well-contained molten ball when it was smaller, seemed to threaten to explode as Max's control over the larger collection waned. Tongues of flame whipped out and dissolved uselessly into the air, taking small amounts of power with them. Max's eyes burned like cinders as he harnessed the full extent of his power, but the limits imposed by his level hampered his efforts. With a defeated sigh, he suddenly clutched the ball of energy, absorbing the expended power back into himself.

His eyes still alight, he shook his head. "It won't be enough," he admitted. "My power is not enough to defeat this… not alone."

Brandishing his lute once more, Nino stood shoulder-to-shoulder (well, more elbow-to-shoulder given the gnome's diminutive stature) with the bearded sorcerer. "Well then, it's a good thing you're not alone!" he offered with a grin.

When Max glanced up at him in question, Nino dove in to an acoustic rendition of Fall Out Boy's "My Songs Know What You Did in the Dark." Just before he reached the first chorus, he started to sing.

" _I just got to get you out the cage, I'm a young lover's rage, gonna need a spark to ignite."_

Taking the hint, Max conjured a tongue of flame above his hand just as Nino sang out, " _My songs know what you did in the dark…."_

" _So light 'em up, up up!"_ As Nino broke into the chorus, Max's entire being was engulfed in flame with an audible _WHOOSH_ , as if he was a leaking gas tank that had been ignited. His normally orange fire now burned a bright blue, and his peaked hairstyle had become dancing flames stemming from his head. His smoldering eyes were also fully aflame, twin blazes accenting his face. Everyone but Nino took a step away from the sorcerer, assaulted by the sudden intense wave of heat. Although Nino was sweating again, he made no move to retreat, his focus solely on the music.

Max roared as he threw his energy forward, channeling the power Nino had granted him toward the mess of vines. Rather than contracting into a ball, the flames poured out of him like a flamethrower, engulfing the entire creature in a matter of seconds. The creature's scream sounded like a combination of a tea kettle's whistle and a banshee's screech as it desperately tried to regrow the damaged sections, but the assault from Max was relentless. The moment the creature fell away from the door, the scorched remains of the vines beginning to dissolve into nothingness, Nino cut off the song mid-sentence.

With the abrupt discontinuation of music, he and Max both fell to the ground.

Kim ran to Max, who laid flat on his back, groaning with exhaustion. Verifying that the sorcerer was OK, he gave a nod to Alya and Adrien, who had run to check on Nino.

Nino's hands and chest, which was exposed by the open shirt, were bright read and blistering in places. The skin over the knuckles of his left hand was thick and taught, charred black from his proximity to the fire, with larger blisters covering the back of his hand. He winced as Alya lifted his head into her lap.

"Nino what the hell!" Alya's eyes darted over him, at the ghastly burns that now covered every exposed area of flesh, notably worse over the left side which had been in closest proximity to Max. "What were you thinking?!"

"Had to stand close… for the most power…" the injured bard muttered, his chapped, blistered lips sending shocks of pain through him as his mouth formed the words. "Once the song starts, I get kinda…" he made a looping gesture with his good hand. Then his eyes widened in remembrance. "The vine monster…" he winced again at the M sound, "Dead?"

Alya's eyes filled with tears, overwhelmed with the bravery displayed by the normally irreverent DJ. When Alya offered no response to his question, Adrien answered for her, gripping his friend's uninjured hand tightly. "Yeah, thanks to you! That was incredible!"

Nino grinned at this. "Excellent!" Meeting Alya's tearful gaze, he added, "Hey, Alya, don't worry. It's not that ba-AH!" The B sounds was particularly painful as she pressed his lips together. He recovered quickly and continued, "Honestly it doesn't even hurt much unless I try to move... or talk." The archers eyes narrowed as she scrutinized him in disbelief, causing her tears to pool and fall. He was a terrible liar, and he knew it. "I just need to rest," He concluded.

With Kim's help, Max was able to push himself into a seated position, and now regarded Nino's injuries with concern. "Rest will restore your mana and help with your injuries, but I'm afraid you may not be able to play until Marinette is able to heal you properly," the sorcerer stated, feeling guilty that his power had harmed Nino, even if he had been unaware of the damage he was causing.

Nino nodded from his position on the ground, feeling sleep tug at him. "You don't gotta tell me twice… my left hand is…" He winced as he glanced at the blistered, charred appendage. "Not great."

Wiping her tears away, still holding his head in her lap, Alya offered him a weak smile. "You'll be fine, Marinette will fix it." The cheerfulness in her tone did not reach her eyes. "And now, thanks to you, we'll get there in no time."

Adrien had every confidence that Marinette could heal Nino, recalling his own gruesome injury from earlier. His heart skipped a beat as he remembered the pleasure her magic had given him. _Would her magic have a similar effect on Nino?_ As much as he wanted his best friend to feel better, a selfish part of him wanted to keep that particular feeling between Marinette and himself. Pushing that greedy thought aside, he nodded in agreement. "She's done much more for me, you'll be fine!" he echoed, but Nino's features had already softened in repose.

"Let's all rest here a bit, Nino and I need to regain our strength. The next real challenge should be the Beholder's Chamber," Max suggested.

Kim settled into a seated position with a nod. "Speaking of, we'll need to come up with a plan that doesn't involve barbecued bard…. Or any of us becoming Beholder lunch."

* * *

The nap worked wonders for Nino's burns, but his left hand had unfortunately developed tight, thick scar tissue where the burns had been, impeding him from properly closing his hand into a fist. To his dismay, he realized he was unable to play the frets of his lute in his current state. The party reassured him that the condition was temporary, but Nino knew that his injury would significantly impede their fight with the demon guarding Marinette. He sighed.

The demon, a Beholder, was essentially a giant, floating blob with a large, central eye that likely represented a weak spot (or so Max had theorized). Several long tendrils snaked from the main body, each tipped with secondary eyes, giving the thing 360 degree vision. It also possessed a large mouth, adorned with several rows of fang-like teeth, and had a propensity for eating people.

As Max and Kim had (unsuccessfully) faced the Beholder several times before, they had lots of advice on tactics that would _not_ work.

"A frontal assault will undoubtedly fail, as the Beholder's gaze will paralyze you on the spot," Max advised.

"And then it eats you," Kim added.

"As it possesses eyes on mobile stalks, any attempt to approach it unseen is also inadvisable… even under the cover of stealth, it will certainly observe the movement."

"And then eat you," Kim deadpanned.

"However," Max continued, purposefully ignoring Kim's interjections, "if we can hold its attention, Adrien should be able to utilize his stealth capabilities to sneak _around_ the Beholder and reach Marinette."

Alya's expression remained flat as she noted, "The trick being able to 'hold its attention' without, you know, _dying._ "

Kim considered speaking up again, but instead chuffed in agreement.

"Unfortunately, this also only gets us as far as waking Marinette," Max added solemnly. "We could strategize as much as we want, but we will likely be unable to explain our plan of action to our once our cleric awakens due to the threat of the Beholder. We will have to rely on her adaptability and quick-thinking from that point on. In any case, once Marinette is awake, focus on striking the central eye." Max caught Alya's eyes, pleased to see a resolute determination gleaming there.

"But honestly," Kim perked up, "resourcefulness is sort of Marinette's strong suit. And besides, even if we're injured, she can heal us… once she's awake."

Adrien nodded absently. _Once she's awake…_ Everyone was just glazing over the fact that they still had no idea how to wake her up. "Assuming I can make it there using Plagg's stealth… what _exactly_ am I supposed to do to wake her?" Adrien questioned.

Kim and Max exchanged glances. "Uhh… roll against charm to wake the princess?" Kim recited Ethan's earlier advice with a shrug.

Adrien blinked. "Roll against… but what does that _mean?"_

Max shifted uncomfortably. "Well, it means that you use your Charm stat to attempt to wake her. The higher your stat, the more likely you are to be successful. In the game, the outcome is determined by a dice roll, but here..." Max let his words trail off, reluctant to admit that their survival will ultimately come down to luck.

For the first time since they had begun the meeting, Alya grinned. "So… give her your best Prince Charming, Romeo!"

Adrien's cheeks flushed at the thought.

"ALYA!" Nino prodded her teasingly, his long-time suspicion of Adrien's crush essentially confirmed by the blond's reaction to her suggestion. "Romeo _dies_ in the end! Just… sweep her off her feet, lover-boy!"

"Casanova!" Kim cheered.

"Don Juan!" Max offered.

"Smarty, hotty, suavissimo, yummy-tastic, spellbinder!" Alya teased, recalling how Marinette would fawn over her crush in a similar fashion.

Adrien's blush deepened with every word until his face felt like an inferno.

Nino glanced at the archer, perking a brow. "Wow…. Given this some thought, Alya?"

Alya blushed herself, waving her hands dismissively. "Oh no, not for me, it's just Mari's a little obsess—err, it's nothing, just goofing around!" She giggled awkwardly.

The group joined her in nervous laughter, attempting to release some of the tension that had built.

Regaining her composure, Alya flipped open the satchel, gently retrieving the cat-shaped creature from inside and cradling it in her palm. Plagg snuggled in, enjoying the tender affection he was so rarely given.

"So, lover-boy…" Alya chose to adopt Nino's chosen moniker to address Adrien, earning her a shy half-smile from handsome blond. "Care to show us how this fairy business works?"

Plagg peaked open one eye to regard his chosen, trying to enjoy his last moments of peace.

Adrien exhaled shakily, all eyes on him. _Could he really do this? Transform in front of everyone?_ He remembered the draping hood that covered his tell-tale cat ears, wondering if it would be enough to disguise his super-hero alter ego. Regardless, he didn't really have much of a choice.

 _Here goes nothing…_ he thought, before calling: "Plagg, claws out!" drawing Plagg toward him.

In a flash of green, the character of Adrien the fencer was replaced by a figure clad all in black, a voluminous cowl falling over his shoulders with the hood obscuring his face in shadow, revealing only his remarkably bright green eyes flashing in the darkness. An array of leather straps crisscrossed across his bare chest, as the shirt he'd abandoned as his fencer-self had failed to reappear with the transformation. Twin daggers sat in sheaths tucked into the small of his back, and his entire person seemed to be draped in supernatural shadow.

Alya soundlessly mouthed "Wow" as Kim gaped at him, impressed and more than a little jealous. "WHAT! Why aren't you like this all the time!? You're like a crazy badass ninja!" he exclaimed.

Nino's eyes sparkled with delight. "Duuuuuuude…." Was all he managed to say.

Adrien laughed lightly at his friends' reactions, grinning. He had long-fantasized about their amazement were he ever to reveal himself as the hero Chat Noir, but he figured this was probably pretty close. "I can't keep this form forever. It drains Plagg's energy. The harder I fight, the shorter it lasts," he explained.

Max recovered the quickest, clearing his throat. "So then… we have no time to waste! Remember, stick to the plan. We _need_ Marinette, Adrien… or all is lost."

* * *

As the group prepared outside the door of the Chamber of the Beholder, their nervousness was palpable. Adrien crouched in unnatural shadow as Kim took deep breaths, his face pulled into a hard frown. Max's hands glowed slightly as his fingers twitched in anticipation, and Alya had her favorite arrow, the one with the impossibly clean white feather, readied in her bow. Nino stood behind the others, his lute in front of him held aloft by his clumsy, damaged left hand.

When he heard Alya exhale a shaky breath, the bard wished he could do something to help her. To help _them_. But without his hand…

Without his hand, he could still sing.

Turning the lute over so that the strings sat against his stomach, Nino began to rap on the back of the instrument with his good hand as he sang a verse from one of his favorite club mix-ins by Swedish House Mafia.

" _We're far from home, it's for the better. What we dream, it's all that matters. We're on our way, united."_

A sense of confidence and comradery washed over the group, lifting their spirits and assuaging their fear as the bard sang. With a triumphant smile, Kim put a hand on the door. "You guys ready?" He asked.

Balling his hands into fists, causing them to ignite like twin pyres, Max grinned. "Let's do this!"

The moment Kim pushed open the door, he charged into the room, bellowing like a maniac as the sorcerer and archer followed on his heels. Adrien slipped in behind them and went left, hugging the wall in his best attempt to go unnoticed, and Nino strolled in last, continuing to drum and sing. The entire group took notice of the massive, tentacled blob floating in the center of the room, but purposefully did not look directly at it for fear of catching its petrifying gaze. This tactic gave them plenty of opportunity to take in the corpses in various stages of decomposition that littered the floor of the massive chamber.

To their surprise, the creature in the center of the room made no move to attack. The only indication that it had even noticed their presence was a deep, hitching, growling sound that began to emanate from it as Kim charged in. Was it… _laughing_?

Just as Alya prepared to release her favorite arrow into the looming Beholder, she caught movement in her peripheral vision. Whirling around to face it, she released the arrow before she had fully processed what she had fired at, her favorite arrow lodging itself in the forehead of a half-rotten corpse that had begun to pull itself to its feet. The force of the impact knocked its lulling head clean off the exposed cervical vertebrae. The thing collapsed to its knees and fell forward, again unmoving.

"The bodies… they…. " half-way lost in a rage, Kim struggled to process the new information with a clear head.

"They're undead!" Max exclaimed, using his prepared fire to light another corpse that had begun to move. "Any one of them could be a threat!"

With Kim facing the center of the room where the Beholder still lurked, Max, Alya, and Nino backed toward him, protecting themselves from surprise attacks, as Nino continued to sing.

" _Who's gonna save the world tonight? Who's gonna bring her back to life? We're gonna make it, you and I. We're gonna save the world tonight!"_

With unexpected clarity and a tone that commanded attention, Kim declared, "Alya! Focus on the Beholder, aim for the eye! Max, you and I will take out as many of these things as we can. Protect each other, we can do this!"

The group nodded in unison, all in silent agreement that they only needed to _buy time_. Survive… for as long as possible.

As Kim leapt at a shambling skeleton with a roar, Max unleashed a spell to rain down fire on a writhing mass of corpses, and Alya rolled out to the side to launch a flurry of arrows at the center of the floating blob, where she guessed the eye would be. The grotesque creature stopped laughing and _roared,_ causing the whole room to shake _,_ and began to move toward the group, slow but sinister, its tentacles writhing.

* * *

Adrien focused on his task, sliding against the wall, trying to become one with the shadows. He was only a few steps along the wall when he noticed the stone dais toward the back of the room, upon which lay the unmistakable form of Marinette as if she was a sacrifice to some unholy god. There was suddenly movement all around him, as the lifeless bodies of the fallen that filled the room began to come to life. He paused momentarily, but none of them seemed to notice his presence, instead heading back toward the doorway… back toward his friends. He heard Kim's unmistakable war-cry again, and silently promised to help them as soon as he could. _Stick to the plan…. Get Marinette._

With the inhabitants of the room distracted, he was able to traverse the short distance quickly, mounting the dais with a few lithe steps. As he knelt beside the sleeping cleric, he felt his breath hitch in his throat. Her raven hair fanned out behind her, and her normally pink lips had taken on a deathly blue tinge. Her cheeks were as pale as porcelain, reminding him of an exquisite doll. _Would this work?_

A crash from the far side of the room reminded him that time was short. Removing his hood with shaky hands and a wavering breath, he leaned over her. Even inches from her face, he appreciated no breath from her, no rise and fall of her chest, no indication whatsoever that the beautiful girl that lay before him still clung to life. _Was she…?_ A single tear fell from his eyes as they slid shut. _Please Marinette… please come back to me…._ With hope burning in his chest like a palpable flame, he placed his lips on hers.

* * *

 _Author's note: WOW guys, your responses have been incredible! It's so great to hear that D &D virgins and veterans alike are able to relate to the story and the characters. I'm so glad to hear that you're enjoying it! Thank you all so much for your continued support!  
_


	12. Reunited

Chapter 12:

The last thing Marinette remembered was Vault Master hurling a wickedly sharp, magically conjured spike at Adrien. She was too far away to reach him, so she had thrown… _What, exactly?_ She struggled to put the fuzzy memories together.

Images came back in pieces. Adrien standing on the far side of the room, her shield on her arm, crackling with energy as her power arced through her with her panic. And then… she had leapt to him. Not physically, there was no way she could cross that distance in time, so she threw herself—her _power_ rather, toward him, in a last-ditch effort to protect him. She felt her energy fly from her as if she had cast out a spirit that had been possessing her, leaving her feeling fragile and exposed. And yet, right in front of her eyes, the baleful projectile had dissolved into a magic wall that had appeared around the object of her unrequited affection. When Vault Master turned his fury to her, Marinette had felt no fear. She had succeeded. She had saved her love. She didn't know how she had done it, but he was safe, so she was happy. And then there was blackness.

Now, she felt something spark to life in her chest: a match struck in the pitch black emptiness. A warmth began to spread through her chilled body, bringing with it a vitality she hadn't realized she had lost. Her senses ignited to a touch. Soft lips pressing against her own. _A kiss?_

She inhaled, the sensation feeling foreign to her as if it was her first breath in centuries. As her body awoke, she instinctively responded to this strange intrusion to her reverie, parting her lips slightly against the unfamiliar, but entirely welcome, pressure.

A soft moan. Had she heard it or herself produced it? She wasn't certain.

Her brain finally registered that she was in the middle of a kiss; a kiss that she was instinctually returning. A wonderful, delicious, timid but insistent exchange that felt _so right_ she had wondered why she had never kissed anyone before. _Well, there was that one time with Chat Noir during the fight with Dark Cupid, but he was brainwashed… and that was_ nothing _like this._

Her next realization was that she had been sleeping. She didn't remember going to sleep. _Maybe this whole thing is an amazing dream?_ Although her thoughts were becoming increasingly more lucid, she found it difficult to concentrate on anything but the kiss. The kiss with… _who?_

As her eyes fluttered open, the first thing she saw was the arms of a man, pinning her down on each side as he held himself over her. Her heart picked up with an erratic and wild tempo as a pleasant knot tightened in her lower stomach. The bare arms were defined with muscle, taught under the support of his weight, leading up to beautifully defined, broad shoulders emerging from under folds of draping fabric. She inhaled sharply, a flush rising to her face, not of embarrassment but of… excitement?

At that moment he drew back from her, breaking the kiss. She hitched forward a bit, wanting to follow him, to find those heavenly lips again and kiss him for all of eternity. When his face was fully in view, her mouth dropped open. Impossibly green eyes that reflected the light from behind a black mask, wild blonde hair sticking out in all directions as if someone had run their hands through it in a night of unbridled passion, and two black peaks poking out of his head like cat ears.

"Ch-Chat Noir?!" She gasped, her voice hardly more than a whisper. No doubt about it, her partner was perched atop her: shirtless, breathless, and _so incredibly gorgeous_. How had she not seen it before? Her face burned hotter as her heart thundered like a runaway train. _That kiss!_ Who knew Chat could kiss like that? Who knew _anybody_ could kiss like that?! She raised a shaky hand to her lips, partly to hide her gaping mouth, but partly to brush her fingertips across her still-tingling lips in remembrance of his kiss.

"Ha… ah, Good morning, Princess!" Chat actually looked a bit flustered, a light pink tinge to his cheeks as he grinned sheepishly, finally sitting back to release her.

 _The akuma._ Marinette sat up with a start. When she did so, she inadvertently brought them nose-to-nose again. Her eyes darted to his lips. She had remembered the dungeon, the akuma that had brought a game to life. She had no idea how Chat had gotten there, or if they were even still in the dungeon. _Why would they be kissing in a dungeon?_ Still, she _did_ know that she wanted to experience that kiss again. Right now. Forever.

"Chat, I…" Marinette murmured, her voice throaty as she stared into his eyes.

Chat blinked as if abruptly realizing something important; something important and apparently embarrassing, because he suddenly appeared uncharacteristically self-conscious. "Oh, um… " Reaching behind his head, he flipped his hood over his hair, covering the pointed ears and casting his face into shadow. "Might want to keep the Chat Noir thing between us for now, OK?"

The hood obscured most of his face, save for a few bits of unruly hair, his chin, and his emerald gaze that pierced through the darkness. His face was perfection, but Marinette noted that somehow the mystery only added to his allure. _Wait, what are you thinking?! This is Chat Noir!_ Her thoughts were in turmoil. _Yeah, incredibly sexy, brave, selfless, reliable, and inconceivably talented kisser Chat Noir!_ Although she trusted him beyond compare, never in her life had she been romantically interested in her overly flirtatious, silly partner. Now, after one kiss, her whole life had been turned upside down.

Chat turned to look over his shoulder, just in time to see Alya fly backward into a wall. Her body crashed against the stone with impressive force, and she fell to the ground among the rubble the impact had dislodged from the wall. Her whole body shook as she tried to push herself up, drawing on reserves of fortitude that could only have been magically imbued by the blessed bard. Adrien felt a rush of pride and thanks for his friends. The massive skeleton that had rammed the elven huntress with its shield approached menacingly, unaware that an ax-wielding Berserker was about to descend on it from behind in a crazed fury.

Leaping to his feet, Chat turned to offer a hand to Marinette. "Are you OK? Can you stand? I have to help them!" His eyes shone with concern and restlessness, as his worry for her battled his instinct to help the others.

Seeing Alya hurt, Marinette was already on her feet, the shield on her arm glowing brightly. The sight of her friends in peril had brought her crashing from her blissful dream world back to the present, and from the looks of it, her friends presently needed her help. She could see Max, Nino, and Alya ( _Where is Adrien?)_ on the far side of the room attempting to fend off a dozen or so undead creatures. _And was that… Nino standing toward the doorway, drumming on some sort of wooden drum?_ Seeing her partner's outstretched hand, she took it anyway. Giving it a squeeze, she spoke sincerely. "Thank you, Chat, but there's no way I'm letting you fight this alone."

He smiled at her, a warm smile that conveyed more than just understanding or appreciation, before they leapt off together into the fray.

"I'm going to help Alya, you help the guys!" Marinette declared as she ran toward the felled archer. With a curt nod, Chat dashed toward Max, who had erected a wall of fire around himself to deter melee attacks from the more fleshy of the undead. Kim had apparently been smashing any skeletons that dared approach the blazing gnome, but he now stood protectively in front of Alya as she struggled to regain her bearings.

As she approached her friend, Marinette's head pivoted to take in the scene. She and Chat had been perched on some sort of stone stage-like structure toward the back of a cavernous room littered with bodies in various stages of decay. A particularly fresh-looking group lay at the foot of their stone perch, their skin a ghastly gray color and notably bloated. Marinette was grateful she couldn't detect the stench that the deteriorating bodies undoubtedly emitted. Other corpses were mere skeletons, their clothing and flesh having rotted away after years of lying in the place. While most lay inert (as dead things ought), some of the creatures were scraping at the ground, writhing, as if trying to pull themselves to their feet.

Stranger still than the animated dead was the creature that floated in the middle of the room: a gargantuan levitating blob, its lumpy crimson form laced with blue-tinged veins. 12 distinct tentacles were arranged on its head like a crown, each tipped with an unblinking eye. Most of the stalks were focused on her friends as they fought, but a few were angled toward the sides of the room as if intent on maintaining a 360 degree view. One of the eyes, its iris a stormy gray, was focused intently on _her._

 _It's going to attack._ Marinette wasn't sure how she knew it, but her instinct couldn't have been clearer if it had spoken to her audibly. As the creature began to rotate to face her, she appreciated another strange feature: it had one enormous eye centered on its spherical body. Strangely, the massive central eye was… closed?

Marinette's mind grappled to recall what Max had revealed about the game, knowing that this observation hid some significance. However, she had more pressing matters to attend to: three of the tentacle eyes were now focused on her: one ink-black such that it appeared to be one giant pupil, one an impossibly deep blue that reminded her of lapis lazuli, and the stone-gray one that continued to stare her down… and had now begun to glow.

As the gray eye flashed, Marinette dove into a somersault, intent on avoiding any attack that the creature may have mounted. A beam of blindingly bright light shot from the leaden eye toward the spot where Marinette had until recently stood, striking one of the rancid, bloated forms that lay at the foot of the dais. The struck corpse did not appear to be injured: rather, the putrid, slimy skin of the creature became an even-toned matte, as if the decaying skin had been replaced with stone. The cleric had barely rolled herself into a crouch before leaping again, dodging a similar attack from the ebony eyestalk, which burned a charred spot into the floor. She saw another of the stalks, the color of which she couldn't discern from her current vantage, fire a light-ray at Chat as he ran to join Max, but the agile superhero easily dodged with a quick handspring. That beam struck the floor and disappeared in a small cloud of pink-tinged smoke.

 _Lasers? Are you kidding?!_ The ravenette grumbled to herself as she finally reached Alya, who had pulled herself into a wobbly upright position.

"Marinette! … Oh thank God you're OK…" the ombre-haired elf sighed, placing an encouraging hand on Marinette's shoulder…. And leaning a significant amount of her weight into the smaller girl for support.

Marinette's eyes widened when she noticed the large, blood-matted mess of hair covering the majority of the back of the archer's head. "Alya… " she squeaked. "You're hurt!"

The journalist-turned-adventurer cast her a cheesy smile. "So maybe heal me up, oh Healing Healer!" Her smile faltered before she added, "... and quick please, cuz I'm starting to feel a little woozy."

Marinette felt her power surge again with concern for her best friend, her hands beginning to tingle as her shield disappeared without her notice. On instinct, she drew the battered, bleeding girl into a tight hug, her right hand cradling her blood-dampened head and her left wrapping around her back. Her chin resting on Alya's right shoulder, the cleric whispered, "We heroes fight together!"

Alya was grateful for Marinette's support, but her thankful sentiment was overwhelmed with astonishment. No sooner had Marinette pulled her into an encouraging hug had the she felt her pain melt away, her strength returning. She remembered how Adrien had moaned with pleasure for several minutes as Marinette worked to heal him, but Alya felt no particular pleasure, and truly experienced no "healing sensation" at all. One second she was injured, weak and in pain, and the next she simply… wasn't. _Huh._

Looking over Marinette's shoulder at the battle against the undead that continued to rage, Alya saw rogue-Adrien roundhouse-kick a skeleton that had stalked toward Max, shattering its rib cage, just as the sorcerer focused his power to light a desiccated mummy-looking creature aflame like a walking pile of tinder. Kim had seemed to succumb to his rage as he spun like a top, his ax held in front of him, demolishing any undead unlucky enough to get too close. Even broken, battered, and scorched, the remnants of the undead horde were still moving, still _attacking_ if they physically could. The group was so focused on the assault, they failed to notice the Beholder approaching, the focus of its tentacled eyes split between the ax-wielding whirlwind of destruction and the nimble rogue, who was effectively cutting down anything that approached the spell-caster. Realizing her warning would go unheeded by the raging Berserker, Alya called, "ADRIEN! WATCH OUT, THE EYES!"

Adrien pivoted just in time to see the alabaster-colored iris, held aloft by its stalk and aimed directly at him, begin to glow. His escape routes were blocked on all sides by shambling corpses, so he dodged in the only remaining direction: up.

As the looming eye lit up with a dazzling white light, Adrien leapt, bounding off the helmeted head of one of the approaching long-dead soldiers, and out of the path of the incoming beam. His momentum carried him into an awkward backflip, and he skidded to a stop in a crouched position just on the other side of the attacking undead. The ray of light had struck the lumbering corpse that he had used as a vault, rendering it to ashes. In an instant, the old helmet it had been wearing clattered to the ground atop a heap of dust. Adrien breathed a sigh of relief at his narrow escape. "Thanks for keeping an _eye_ on me!" he called to Alya as he stood to face the remaining zombies.

Marinette blinked, her expression blank. "Alya…." The words came slowly, as if remembering how to speak took great effort. "Did you just call him Adrien?"

Alya, fully recovered, turned to wink at her friend. "Yeah girl, duh! How many hunky, green-eyed blond-haired fairytale Princes do you know?!"

Marinette's mouth opened as if to speak, but no sound came out. Chat's words came back to her: _"Might want to keep the Chat Noir thing between us."_ It hadn't made sense at the time; all of Paris knew of Chat Noir, the students of College Francoise Dupont more so than most. So why would he hide his identity? Not because he had kissed her, they would understand a super hero doing his duty. Her brain reconfigured the facts in a multitude of ways, each thought more dizzying than the last.

 _Because this group knew him as his real identity… but only_ SHE _had recognized him as Chat Noir._

 _Because her Chat Noir was their Adrien Agreste._

 _BECAUSE ADRIEN WAS CHAT._

 _And Chat Noir had kissed her._

 _Adrien had kissed her, as Chat Noir, and it had been_ wonderful _._

When Marinette didn't respond, Alya reached over and pushed her friend's jaw shut. "Look, I know you're probably in shock with the whole 'Adrien kissed you' thing, but we really have to—" Cutting herself off mid-sentence, Alya raised her bow and fired an arrow into the hollow eye socket of an approaching zombie in one swift, fluid motion. Pitching backward from the force of the impact, the creature fell to the ground. "We have to fight, Marinette!"

Marinette struggled to sequester the jumble of life-altering information aside and return her focus to the battle. Channeling Ladybug's levelheadedness, she assessed her situation. Kim was demolishing everything in sight, including corpses that had already been knocked down and those that hadn't even reanimated. As some of the living dead fighters were notably missing limbs (including, in one case, a head) or adorned with arrows, his crazed offense might actually be a good tactic: could the living dead even _be_ killed? Alya had continued to pick off creatures from their position at the side of the room, aiming for the heads as the arrows that lodged themselves between the ribs of the creatures seemed to have little effect. Adrien… _Chat Noir_ … was using his twin daggers more effectively than even his staff, leaping and dodging while severing limbs with the blades, shattering the frail bones with kicks and punches. His attacks were so fast his movements seemed to blur. Max, under relative protection from the others, had focused his power into a crackling fireball. It levitated, seemingly forgotten, over an outstretched hand as he, too, took in the scene, his face puzzled. When the sorcerer met Marinette's eyes, his expression lit up.

"Marinette!" Max zigzagged between bodies as he scampered over to the cleric, breathing heavily when he finally reached her. "You have to bless them! The undead are weak to holy magic, they'll keep coming back unless you _heal_ them!"

Marinette's gaze fell to the one-eyed zombie in front of her, Alya's arrow still protruding from the hollow socket, as it pushed itself to its feet. She clasped her still-glowing hands together, becoming more comfortable with channeling her strange new power as she gained confidence in her own healing abilities. _Heal them… to let them rest in peace…._ After briefly clasping her hands together in front of her heart as if in prayer, she threw both hands in front of her, impacting the dirt-caked rags that covered the one-eyed zombie's chest as it moved to stand. A bright light, similar to the shield that had protected Adrien but very brief and more intense, enveloped the creature before is fell to the ground, lifeless.

"That's it, excellent job!" Max exclaimed from beside her, staring in awe at the crumpled form.

Marinette did not hear his praise, however, as her attention was locked on the Beholder floating mere feet from her. The eyestalks followed the others or surveyed the room, but the large, central eye was staring straight at Marinette. The iris, painted with all the colors of the rainbow swirling together in beautiful patterns, was clearly visible to her, as the eye was now wide open.

* * *

 _Author's Note: This was probably my favorite chapter to write so far... a little fluffy goodness leading directly into battle! I wanted to send a huge THANK YOU to Solthus, whose expertise helped bring this creepy Beholder to life! Now we know Marinette's powers are the answer to defeating the undead… but has she fallen victim to the Beholder too soon to utilize them? Find out next time! -Floof  
_

 _Edited to add: So sorry my updates have slowed considerably! I'm in the middle of a life-change and move and time is short. Due to some recent Fan-love (pun intended, Ur Fan!) my dedication has been rekindled and I'm back at it! Thank you again for your support, hope to have the next chapter out soon!_


	13. Enter the Cleric

Chapter 13:

"Marinette, NO! Don't meet its gaze!" Max looked on in horror as the cleric stared blankly at the Beholder, their eyes locked, fully aware that his warning had come too late.

Hearing the sorcerer's cry, Alya glanced over her shoulder. Arrow drawn to destroy yet another of the approaching zombie horde, her jaw dropped when she realized her newly-revived best friend had unwittingly made a grave error. Guilt washed over her as she realized she had had the opportunity to warn Marinette of the danger, but instead… _You teased her about Adrien. STUPID! You're supposed to be a hero! And now, because of you… now she's…_

"ALYA, WATCH OUT!" Marinette screamed, rushing the undead soldier that was about to strike at the archer. Using her body like a battering ram, her left forearm held out defensively, the raven-haired girl ran full force into the decaying form, knocking it off its feet. The impact dislocated its left arm at the shoulder, which was raised high with a heavy ax in hand. The skeletal arm flew sideways, releasing its grip on the ax only when it slammed into the ground and went spinning off across the room. The disarmed (literally and figuratively!) foe lost its footing and fell backward, its half-exposed skull contacting the stone floor with a notable crack.

Both Max and Alya stared at their friend blankly, their mouths agape, but Alya was the first to produce sound.

"Mari… you're not petrified?" Alya's voice was little more than a whisper.

"What?!" Marinette questioned as she placed herself between the enemy and her friends. "Why would I be petrified?"

"Because it's _looking right at us!_ " Alya declared, pointing an accusatory finger at the wide, rainbow-colored eye of the Beholder.

Max's eyes narrowed as he purposefully met the Beholder's gaze.

"What are you talking about?!" Marinette exclaimed as the one-armed zombie struggled to stand. "The _gray_ eye petrifies! This big one…" she trailed off, realizing she had shared essentially all she had learned so far about the imposing Blob-fiend.

Max grinned. "She's right!" With as much volume as the usually soft-spoken boy could muster, Max declared to the room, "THE EYE-BEAMS HOLD THE PARALYSIS CURSE! THE TENTACLES ARE THE REAL DANGER!" The sorcerer held both hands to his sides, palms up and fingers curled, summoning his power as he confidently met his foe's wide-eyed gaze.

Max's warning came just in time. Adrien, having been distracted by the skeletal warriors, turned to face the looming Beholder just in time to see a yellow-eyed stalk begin to glow with power. He leapt toward the wall, willing himself to again become one with the shadows, as the creature released a beam of light to strike the spot in which he had been standing moments before.

Marinette had already been prepared for an attack. She raised her forearm defensively toward the on-coming beam of energy emanating from the fathomless black eye aiming toward her 3-person group. However, her trusted shield did not appear. Marinette barely had time to register its absence, let alone dodge the attack. With an ominous pulse, the inky eye fired. While her forearm remained bare, the light ray dissolved harmlessly several feet before reaching her defense as Alya and Max ducked behind her, seemingly unaware that her shield had failed to materialize.

Kim, cackling maniacally as he smashed foes to bits in full-rage mode, had paid no hindrance to the gnome's warning. The rose-tinged eye focused on him connected fully, its beam of light encompassing the raving dwarf in a cloud of dense pink smoke. As the smoke dissipated, the berserker stood still.

"Kim! Are you OK?!" Marinette didn't know what to make of the situation. Her shield hadn't appeared as she had willed it to, but the eyebeam of the ink-black eye had nonetheless dissipated before it had reached them. However, the attack directed at Kim had struck him full force. He was still standing, so that was encouraging, but….

" _What… what is happening?!"_ Max's eyes were wide as he threw his arms out to the sides. Seemingly unaware of the strike on Kim, the sorcerer was nearing hysterics as his eyes flicked furtively from one empty palm to the other. "I can't… my fire! … It… it's GONE!"

The Beholder, with its unblinking gaze still fixed on the small group, grinned wide, revealing a set of viciously sharp teeth, each easily the length of a broadsword. The swirl of colors danced across the staring iris as Marinette tried in vain to call her shield.

Kim pivoted from his spot to face Nino, who continued to rhythmically tap on his instrument as he called out encouraging lyrics from his spot near the doorway. His drumming hands stilled, his voice fading to silence, as he caught the berserker's enraged eyes.

"Yo Kim, dude, it's me! Your buddy, Nino!" he soothed; he held his palms flat in front of him as the berserker approached, his imposing form enveloped in a faint wisp of a pink-tinged aura. Nino took a reflexive step backward, glancing over his shoulder to see the solid stone wall only a few paces behind him.

"The eyebeam!" Alya gasped in understanding. "The beams are all different! The grey one turns you to stone, the white one disintegrates, and this one…."

"IT'S CHARM!" Max concluded her thought. "Kim has been charmed!"

Kim grinned a smile that held no humor, his eyes lacking any trace of recognition for his friend as he raised his ax overhead, his advancing paces quickening to corner the defenseless bard.

"Uh… Kim?" Nino squeaked, his back pressed to the wall. " _Guys?!"_ Hugging his instrument to his chest, the dark-skinned bard appeared thin and vulnerable under the hulking form of the berserker as he loomed to attack.

Barreling in from the shadows, Adrien's lowered shoulder connected with the berserker's side at a full sprint, knocking him off-balance and drawing focus away from the cowering bard. Regaining his footing quickly, Kim turned his rage to the rogue with a snarl, slamming the ax down to the spot where Adrien stood still reeling from the collision. Utilizing the momentum from the impact, Adrien planted a foot into the ground behind him and threw himself backward into a barrel roll, barely dodging the descending ax and coming to crouched landing, again facing the cursed berserker. With a grunt, Kim hefted the ax out of the crevice he had created in the floor, already preparing for his next attack. Adrien's eyes flashed to the side, looking for an escape as the undead began to surround him again.

As the rogue and raging berseker squared off, Alya drew an arrow taught in her bowstring, aiming for the enormous, staring eye of the Beholder. With her shield inexplicably missing in action, Marinette felt useless as she watched her friends fight. _But,_ she noticed, _not all of them are fighting._ Puzzled, she asked, "Max, where's your fire?"

The sorcerer let out an exasperated groan. "I don't know! I can still feel it, I still have adequate reserves of power, but I can't…" Max trailed off, his hands trembling as they held an empty sphere of air.

Suddenly it clicked. Marinette's missing shield, Max's un-conjurable flame, even the dissipating beam from the black-colored tentacle. Max jerked his head up to meet Marinette's eyes, each coming to the same realization. _Magic doesn't work under the gaze of the Beholder… not even its own._

"Alya! Shoot Kim!" Marinette instructed, just as Adrien dove to dodge a horizontal sweep of Kim's ax.

" _WHAT?!_ " Alya gawked, her aim wavering from her target in indecision. "But he could get hurt! Are you sure?!" Just then, the Beholder unleashed another torrent of eyebeams: two beams, one from a blood red iris and one from the milky-white eye that had disintegrated the skeleton, dissolved harmlessly a few feet from Marinette's group. The third, emitted from a mossy green eye, barely missed Nino as he leapt out of the way.

"Just get his attention!" Marinette's voice neared panic as Kim connected one enormous fist into Adrien's side, causing him to sputter. The undead were on the pair again, but Kim, in his berserker fury, was attacking the shambling corpses as well as his blond-haired former teammate. The rogue, she noticed, had not brandished his weapons against the barbarian, hesitant to harm his friend. As agile as he was, her heroic partner couldn't dodge the raging onslaught forever. "Trust me Alya, NOW!"

Her eyes narrowing in concentration, the elven archer turned on a heel and released her arrow in the direction of the enthralled dwarf. The arrow embedded itself in his right shoulder, causing his arm to pitch forward.

Interrupted from his intended attack, the berseker turned to face the archer's group, ax still clutched firmly in his grip. He tore the arrow out of his shoulder unflinchingly, as if it was a mere annoyance. The next second, he was charging the defenseless trio.

"NO!" Adrien screamed, realizing he had lost the focus of their enraged friend. He moved to follow, but the legless torso of a zombie combatant clutched his ankle, raising a bloodied dagger in its free hand in an attempt to slash at his calf. Adrien spun, connecting his other foot into the zombie's side with a satisfying crunch, but losing the precious seconds it would take to catch up to the dwarf.

Marinette faced the rushing dwarf head on, hands at her sides, with a fierce look of determination glinting in her crystalline blue eyes. Just as Kim entered striking distance, he skidded to a stop, as the rosy mist that had been encompassing him dissipated. The dwarven barbarian blinked in confusion.

"What…? Oh, hey Marinette!" Kim's bewilderment was overtaken with a relaxed cheer as he recognized his classmate, alive and well, standing before him. "You're OK!" He declared.

Max grinned. "A risky strategy Marinette, but it paid off! Now then… Alya, the eye!"

With a nod, Alya strung three arrows on her bowstring, pulling it back to her shoulder. With a sneer, she proclaimed, "Hey, Creep-o! Check _this_ out!" before releasing all three arrows into the Beholder's giant eye.

With the target so large and so close, all three arrows connected, causing the enormous creature to clamp its gargantuan eye shut with a pained shriek. Stunned, the creature attempted to defend itself by firing eyebeams, but they shot harmlessly into the ceiling.

Nino leapt forward, breaking into dance as he hammered his open palms on his instrument, ignoring the pain that shot through his recently-healed injury as he channeled his inner Ricky Martin. "Go, go, go! Ale ale ale!" he called, with as much energy as he could summon.

Spurred by the bard's encouragement, Marinette had a flash of insight. As Max conjured his flames with a somewhat unsettling cackle, the cleric called to her shield. As it appeared, bright and large on her arm, she yelled, "Adrien, to me! Go for the tentacles!" before ducking into a defensive posture.

With unquestioning understanding, Adrien dashed toward her at full speed. "You got it, M'lady!" he grinned, leaping into the air as he approached. At the last second, Marinette ducked fully to a knee, her shield atop her, just as Adrien landed nimbly on the horizontal surface her shield provided. With all her might, Marinette sprang straight up, pushing her shield toward the grotesque tentacled creature, acting like a springboard to launch Chat Noir into the air. With uncanny grace, Adrien landed atop the Beholder with a smirk.

Several of the stalked eyes angled to focus on Adrien, perched atop the Beholder, as its large eye squeezed shut in pain from the arrows embedded within.

"Nice to see you too!" the rogue declared, as he crossed his twin daggers in front of him on either side of the white-eyed stalk before wrenching them outward, severing the stalk at the base.

Blue-green ooze pulsed from the gaping hole, the severed stalk writhing as it fell to the ground.

The Beholder roared in pain, its daggered mouth gaping, as the eleven remaining tentacles stood on end. The oozing substance from its open wound ran down its monstrous form in rivulets, coating half of the abomination in putrid slime.

Kim gripped his ax in both hands as the piecemeal undead army closed in. Max's casting encompassed the sorcerer's form, lighting his hair aflame, as he summoned more and more power. Alya stood at Marinette's shoulder, arrow at the ready but unsure of where to aim, as the cleric's body began to emit a soft white glow.

"I have an idea," Marinette stated as her eyes fell shut in concentration.

* * *

 _Author's Note: Hey guys! So sorry it's been so long! Going through some major life changes (including a move!) and haven't had much time to write. Still new to the action sequences so they take me forever. I know this chapter is short and ends rather abruptly... I intended to go further but the writing has been so slow I figure something is better than nothing? HUGE THANKS to my readers for the encouragement, it means everything to me! I really love this fic and intend to keep it up, slow as it may be. Thanks for sticking with me! -Floof  
_


	14. Standing Together

Chapter 14:

Max's eyes flickered as he channeled his newly-returned power to encompass a group of approaching zombies in a massive pillar of liquid flame. A charred, skeletal hand shot out from the dazzling fire, blindly groping for a victim, before Kim severed it mid-forearm with a swing of his ax. Alya was continuously pivoting on her heels as she fired arrow after arrow, riddling the animated corpses with protruding wooden shafts but managing only to slow them down, as the fallen would simply stand to attack again. Max's blazing column fell as he refocused his magic on another group, leaving only ashes and one severed hand in remembrance of the enemies that had been trapped within. While his searing flames more thoroughly destroyed the undead, the sorcerer's magic took great effort and focus. Max knew his power would be exhausted long before the horde fell, but he resolved to protect his friends as best he could, for as long as he could.

The Beholder looming nearby thrashed, cerulean gore flying as it bucked sideways in an attempt to rid itself of the rogue that crouched atop it. Adrien slammed one of his daggers into the grotesque form and clutched it tight, praying it would hold as he lost his footing, the other arm flailing. Recovering quickly, he flung his bodyweight around, driving the other dagger into the monster as it writhed, clinging to the putrid, ooze-covered demon that stunk of rot and decay. Adrien tried to focus on hanging on to the thing as he fought the urge to vomit. _This is not going to plan_ , the rogue thought dryly, his face pressed against the disgusting, bloated form.

Marinette's figure shone as if reflecting sunlight as she stood, eyes shut and unmoving, among the fighters. She had declared to the others that she'd had an idea and then fallen silent, leaving them in anticipation as they fought the undead. Alya hoped that whatever Marinette was planning would work, because despite their best efforts, the army was closing in. Even Nino was showing signs of fatigue, breathing heavily as he tried to keep up with the tempo of his song. His ragged breaths would interrupt the lyrics, weakening the effect of his magic as the song stuttered.

Marinette hadn't intended to leave the others in the dark, but even she wasn't entirely certain how she would recreate her purification from earlier on a grander scale. When she had healed the zombie, allowing the poor soul to return to its rest, she was overcome with a strange sensation, as if she had granted the soul its freedom. She had some innate understanding that her spell had liberated the being, allowing its energy to return to the world. In that fleeting moment, she had grasped the understanding of something greater, a power that tied together all living things; an energy that connected, held together, and encompassed the world itself, into some greater whole that she just didn't understand. It was as if she was a colored thread in an intricate tapestry and, for a moment, she was able to view the piece as a whole. She felt important and insignificant at the same time, and somehow, it felt so beautifully _right._

As Marinette stood silently, she focused on that feeling of _right_ , the serenity that had come with that brief glimpse of something greater, although she could no longer wrap her head around whatever the something was. _Everything has a purpose,_ she silently meditated. _Joy and sadness, life and death… because without fear there can be no courage, without challenge there can be no victory. Light is most brilliant as it drives away the dark._

The cleric's heart fluttered as she felt the sensation again: an overwhelming love and gratitude for life itself. Gently lowering herself to her knees, she placed both palms on the cold, dirty floor, forcing the sensation that burned like a sun in her chest down through her palms and into the stone.

Max gaped in amazement as the cleric knelt, her raven hair floating around her as if weightless, as the sunlit sheen radiating from her concentrated around her head like a halo. Bright beams of pure white light shone from between the girl's fingers, now splayed on the ground, as if it emanated from the ground itself. The light softened in intensity as it began to spread outward from the spot upon which the cleric knelt, the speed of its advancement increasing exponentially until it had reached all four walls of the chamber. Moments after the spell had begun, it had finished, leaving a barely perceivable trace of light on the floor of the room… or at least Max _thought_ he could detect a faint glow…. Maybe.

The whole thing was over so fast, the others hadn't even seen it. Nino's gaze was now fixed on the ground as he panted, sweat dripping from his face as he braced himself up on his knees, so drained he was barely able to stand let alone play. Adrien was attempting to climb back atop the Beholder, his boots slipping from the gore-slick surface of the creature as his daggers anchored his upper body in place. Kim had crushed the skull of a fallen skeleton underfoot as he reared to attack a second with his ax, and Alya drew another arrow, ready to strike down the zombie she had just felled with an arrow between its hollow eyes, knowing it would rise again.

But it didn't. The half-rotten corpse lay on its back on the ground, the feather-tipped arrow shaft protruding from its skull, jaw lulling to the side as the dislocated mandible sagged. Alya had seen the things ride from far worse injuries: one headless, legless torso had managed to drag itself back into the fight by its arms. _What was this one doing just lying there like its dead?_ The archer wondered. _Well… I mean_ really _dead, like dead dead,_ she internally clarified.

Then, the form began to disintegrate. Just as the defeated rats and kobolds had, the stricken zombie corpse faded from existence, leaving no trace. As Alya glanced around the room, she noted that the corpses that had failed to reanimate remained, and those that had risen still clamored toward her. However, the creature whose skull Kim had crushed, as well as the one he had subsequently cut in two with a swing of his ax, had also faded away.

Kim also stood perplexed. Voicing the same question Alya pondered, he asked aloud: "So, what, they're just dying now?"

Marinette had opened her eyes to take in her surroundings, curious about the effect of her spell, but Max answered before she had the chance.

"Marinette blessed the room!" the gnome exclaimed, bouncing from one foot to another in his excitement. "The undead cannot rise from blessed ground!" He pronounced the adjective with two distinct syllables, _bless-ed._ "If you kill them now, they'll stay dead!" As if to punctuate his point, Max cast a small fireball at a nearby armless skeleton that had been approaching despite its lack of fighting capability. The weak spell dissipated on contact, but the force of the casting had managed to knock the skull loose from the rickety spine. The enemy collapsed to the ground, forming a hodge-podge pile of bones before beginning to fade away.

"AW YEAH!" Kim exclaimed, hoisting his ax again. His eyes took on a frenzied sheen as he proclaimed, "BERSEKER RAGE!" before running headlong into the horde of undead.

In their excitement, the group on the ground had failed to notice that they had attracted the attention of the Beholder. Hovering almost directly above them, the creature had stopped flailing and opened its gaping mouth. Sweeping a tentacle over its enormous eye, which remained squeezed shut, the creature dislodged two of the arrows, breaking the third shaft at its base to leave one arrowhead embedded in the gargantuan orb.

The Beholder used another tentacle to swat at itself, trying to crush Adrien like a bothersome fly. The rogue was far quicker than the globular beast, though. Throwing his feet forward as if sliding into home base, Adrien used the slick surface to his advantage, slipping under the massive tentacle as it descended to slice at the base of the stalk. With a few quick slashes, the stalk was severed, the would-be rogue-swatter falling uselessly to the floor. Thick, greenish fluid bubbled from the stump as Adrien immediately turned toward his next target.

Concurrent with its other motions, a third tentacle, this one tipped with the lapis lazuli colored eyeball, had focused its gaze on the slouching bard. Just as Adrien had slid to attack, the eye fired. Too weak to dodge, Nino was struck by the glowing blue beam, instantly collapsing facedown to the floor.

"NINO!" the friends screamed in unison. Not taking the time to prepare an arrow, Alya punched the enemy she had been ready to fight with the fist clutching her bow, sending it reeling backward before dashing toward the fallen bard. Summoning her shield again, Marinette smashed it into the face of the staggering zombie, sending it to the floor with a satisfying crunch before it began to fade.

"Nino, Nino!" the archer called as she ran. Dropping to her knees beside him, she choked, "Please be OK…" as she tenderly rolled him face up. To her relief, Alya immediately appreciated the steady rise and fall of his exposed chest, the rhythm accented by a soft rumbling from his now-slightly swollen nose.

"He's just asleep!" Alya declared, leaping to her feet. "The blue one just put him to sleep!" Alya's grin faded as she saw Marinette, weary from her efforts, standing next to the diminutive sorcerer, facing the daggered jaws of a looming Beholder.

* * *

Once the Beholder had stopped trying to knock him off, Adrien hadn't had much trouble making his way back atop the creature to continue his assault on the eyestalks. The abomination's attacks were powerful but slow: the attempted strike from the tentacle had created more an opportunity for his own swift attack than it posed a real threat. Adrien's rush of pride and optimism upon severing the second of the treacherous tentacles was short-lived, however, as he recognized the Beholder's true intent: its divided attacks among the fighters were simply distractions as it approached the mages. Now, its enormous mouth was stretched wide, the wickedly-sharp, blackened teeth visible even to Adrien as he stood atop the beast.

Several of the tentacle-eyes were still focused on him. The Beholder was wary of the rogue, but had seemed to realize the agile assassin was too difficult a target for its divided attention. If Adrien wanted to distract the monster, he would have to give it the opportunity to strike.

Adrien's mind raced. _If you had to take a hit from one of these spells, which could you survive?_ The disintegrating white stalk had been his first target and was no longer a threat. He hadn't had the chance to see the color of the second severed appendage that the Beholder had used in an attempt to smash him, so there was no telling which other spell had been destroyed. A hit from either the pink eye, which charmed Kim, or the blue that had just now put Nino to sleep, would be disastrous, as either would take the rogue completely out of commission and leave the others exposed to the remaining eyebeams.

Then he saw it: the foreboding, dark abyss of the all-black eye. _Death_. Despite not having seen the attack connect, somehow Adrien knew what power this eye held. In an instant, his plan shifted. _Anything but the black one._

Squatting low, Chat Noir leapt as high as he could toward the black tentacle, hoping that exposing himself as such would attract the attention of the other magic-wielding stalks. Landing near the top of the long appendage, it didn't take the rogue long to climb to the apex, brandishing a dagger in his free hand menacingly. With an exaggerated "HI-YA!" Adrien drove his dagger into the inky-black orb, twisting mercilessly.

The creature emitted a room-shaking howl from its wide-open mouth as five of the nine remaining tentacles focused on the leather-clad attacker perched atop the black tentacle, three of them beginning to glow: one a glittering gold, another the petrifying stone-grey, and the last blood red.

The grey was the first to fire. Adrien dislodged his dagger and leapt out of the path of the light ray, grabbing onto the wriggling tentacle of the injured black eye and swinging around it like the pole of a jungle gym. As the golden eye discharged, Adrien pulled his body in tight, hoping that the alteration of course was enough to avoid the second assault.

The shot from the golden eye missed the rogue…. By a lot, striking the globular body of the creature itself, nowhere near where the rogue was now sliding fireman-style down the stalk. As the last eye exploded with light, Adrien launched himself from the tentacle. However, the soft, pliable stalk gave way under his springing feet, leaving him vulnerable to the attack of the crimson eye.

As the light encompassed him, Adrien was overcome with the sharp sensation of pain, as if a thousand blades were slicing his skin simultaneously, made even worse by Marinette's horrified scream. He briefly wondered if he had made a grave error in choosing to attack the black eye instead of the red, _Had he failed his Princess?_ , as his body landed atop the Beholder with a wet-sounding _smack_.

The shock of the assault faded quickly, and Adrien soon pushed himself to his feet again. As a result of the attack, his exposed arms were covered in lacerations. Though the wounds themselves appeared to be shallow and weren't impressively painful, each was bleeding significantly. He felt similar injuries across his chest, back, legs… even his face stung with twin lacerations painting his cheeks with blood. As he took in his injuries, blood dripping from his bent elbows as he gripped his fists in determination, he understood. _Bleeding wounds_. He wouldn't have long before he began to feel woozy, but he could still fight. And Marinette could heal him once it was all over, just like before. His stomach did a somersault as an unbidden thought arose: _Totally worth it._ His lips curled into a wry smile as he called out, "The bleeding is the curse, I'm OK!", and glanced up at the black orb to admire his handiwork.

The obsidian orb glared back at him as the golden glow that had been surrounding it faded, the unmarred surface reflecting back a distorted image of himself.

 _What?! NO!_ The rogue gripped his daggers, their handles slick with his own blood. _It can't be…_ The golden beam hadn't missed. The strike on itself had been intentional. _This thing can HEAL ITSELF?!_ Adrien pushed the discouraging thoughts of impossibility from his head as he desperately sought his next opening for attack.

Before the rogue could launch into another offensive, the obsidian eyestalk burst into flame at its base. The tongues of fire licked up the stalk as if it were tinder, hungrily ravaging the thing in a matter of seconds before the remnants of the deadly tentacle fell to ash.

Adrien glanced over his shoulder just in time to see an arrow fly by a few feet from his head, embedding itself in the deep purple iris of the stalk to his left. His friends stood in tight formation in front of the sleeping bard: Marinette poised defensively, pearly shield held aloft and her raven hair beautifully wild, Kim heaving for air as he clutched his ax, a crazed grin lighting his face, sharply contrasted by Alya, who stood impossibly composed as she unflinchingly faced the massive creature, and Max resembling a half-bald troll as tall peaks of flame danced in place of his hair. Without the threat of approaching zombie hordes, the entire group (save the slumbering Nino) was now focused on the massive Beholder, and although his head was beginning to swim, Adrien thought they just might have a chance.

* * *

 _Author's Note: Whew, another action-heavy chapter! Hope you enjoyed it! Thanks again for your patience, I know these updates are uncharacteristically slow in coming. Thank you all for sticking with me!_


	15. Cue the Fanfare

Ch 15:

 _Four down, eight to go!_ Marinette reflected on the battle so far: innumerable zombie hordes, formerly essentially invincible, could no longer resurrect due to her consecration of the room. Nino had been cursed with sleep, which in all fairness it _really_ looked like he could benefit from, but everyone else was still standing. Kim was teetering on the edge of a rage, Alya seemed to be enjoying planting arrows into anything that posed a threat, Max was all "flame on," and Chat Noir was…

 _Chat Noir was Adrien._

She shook her head. _I'll deal with that later. Right NOW, Adrien is…bleeding. A lot._

Marinette hadn't been able to contain her scream when the glow of the red-eyed tentacle's attack had faded to reveal her crush covered in blood. His reassurance that the bleeding was only a curse and not from some grievous injury had done little to assuage the sick feeling that pressed into her stomach. Seeing Adrien bleeding profusely was like something out of a nightmare… seeing _Chat_ covered in blood was almost worse. The grief she felt was tainted with a sense of failure, as if she was responsible for his injuries. _Some partner you are! He's hurt, and you're just…._

She shook her head again. _Four down, eight to go._ _Don't get eaten. Go for the eye._ She mentally gave herself simple commands, as Ladybug would do. _Focus. Look for an opportunity to strike._

Marinette hadn't realized she was staring blankly into the back of her glowing shield until she purposefully looked to their foe. She caught Adrien's gaze: fierce, determined, and blazing green, his eyes were every inch Chat Noir despite the fact that the sclera remained white. She briefly wondered how she had never made the connection before, until her attention was drawn elsewhere. The enormous eye of the Beholder, now bloodshot from the embedded arrowhead, popped open.

From behind her, Marinette heard a hiss from Max that sounded a lot like a curse word as the shield on her arm faded from existence.

Her mind clicked into gear, suddenly connecting elements of the battle with newfound clarity. _A powerful ax… worthless against the gaping jaws. A magic inferno… rendered absent from the Beholder's gaze. Defense, likewise useless without a shield. Arrows… incapacitating but not enough. We need a one-shot: a single, powerful attack to take this creature down for good. We need -_

"ADRIEN!" Marinette called, despite the fact that she already had his attention. "You have to—" she paused, hesitant to reveal too much of his kwami-bestowed powers to the others but desperate to communicate her plan. She thought back to their first battle together, when he had accidentally wasted his Cataclysm power on an innocent soccer net. "You've only got _one shot_ to annihilate this thing _…._ One chance to give it your all. Use it now!"

Another of Alya's arrows connected with a verdant iris held aloft on a stalk, causing the creature to howl in pain, as Adrien gave her a curt nod. His mouth moved, but Marinette could not make out the words above the screech of the infuriated creature. As Adrien burst into a sprint atop the abomination, toward the side that held the giant eye, the creature tipped, bringing its gargantuan jaws closer to the incapacitated group. Adrien lost his footing but drove a dagger into the beast, cutting a fine line as gravity pulled him down what Marinette guessed would be considered the Beholder's face.

"DUCK!"

Marinette heard Alya's warning just in time, flinging herself to the ground as the Beholder lunged, its enormous jaws latching shut like an over-wound bear trap. Marinette exhaled a breath she hadn't realized she was holding as she saw the entire group was likewise safely flattened against the floor: Alya had thrown her body defensively over Nino, who appeared to be blissfully unaware of the imminent danger in his sleep. Max appeared to have taken Kim out by the legs, as the mage lay face-down near the besrerker's feet and Kim lay flat on his back, staring at the ceiling in confusion. Rancid green-blue slime dripped down from the face of the creature that hovered only a foot above them, its jaws clenched. Adrien dangled from his embedded daggers, about two feet above the creature's wide-open, rainbow colored iris.

"RUN!" Max's voice was impressively loud given his tiny frame as he issued the command. The jaws of the Beholder had already spread again, a long string of drool arcing from the upper to lower broadsword-sized teeth. Its breath was putrid, like rotted meat with a touch of sour milk, and Marinette's proximity to the gaping mouth allowed her to appreciate for the first time the sickly gray-purple color of the creature's forked tongue. It reminded her of the color a corpse would be if it were pulled from a river after an unknown period of time. She wasn't sure what triggered that particular thought, as she had never seen something so horrific.

"Marinette GO!" Alya's voice pulled Marinette back to the present. The Beholder was about to attack again, only a moment after its first attack that had aimed to decapitate them all, and her friends were dispersing to make more difficult targets. Marinette scrambled forward, initially pawing at the ground and crawling on splayed kneed until she could get her feet under her to run.

A thundering smashing sound erupted behind her as the creature's teeth clamped shut again, crushing the stone floor in its jaws as if it were taking a bite out of a particularly thick cracker. The grinding crunch echoed in her ears as Marinette whirled around to ensure her friends' safety. Kim, seemingly more cognizant than she had given him credit for, had helped Alya pull Nino out of danger. Max had run in a different direction, spreading out potential targets for the creature. Adrien had apparently dropped one of his daggers as he dangled from one arm, his remaining dagger nested in the upper crease of the enormous eye, his empty hand held open with his fingers splayed. Familiar –looking dots swirled around his palm as he smashed it into the wide-open, multicolored eyeball.

The Beholder froze as a dark energy erupted from the point of Adrien's contact, shadowy tendrils spreading like ink absorbing into cloth as it overtook the entirety of the massive form. The creature began to shake violently as it emitted a room-shaking howl, its remaining tentacles standing on end. The violent reaction of the Beholder to Chat Noir's attack caused his single dagger to dislodge and the hero fell to the ground. Despite his namesake, the blonde was unable to right himself midair and landed hard on his shoulder. Inches from where the rogue had fallen, the abomination came crashing to the ground with _splat_. The erect tentacles fell like limp noodles, the lidless irises staring blankly in different directions.

It was the irises that began to dissolve first. The brilliant colors faded to gray before crumbling into dust, leaving dirty trails as the tentacles grew shorter and shorter until disappearing entirely. When the stalks had faded, the large rainbow iris similarly disintegrated, leaving a gaping empty eye socket in the middle of the creature. Through the unoccupied socket, Marinette could see the decay spread from the inside out, slowly eating away at the creature until it, too, was rendered into nothing.

Marinette frown as Alya walked forward and promptly began digging through the ash that had formerly been the Beholder.

"Uhh… Alya? What are you _doing?_ " She questioned, perplexed.

"Getting my arrows back! I must have fired 20 or more into this stupid thing!" The archer replied without hesitation. Glancing over her shoulder to the wide blue eyes of her best friend, Alya withdrew a handful of arrows she had already located as if to prove a point. Waving them at the blackette, she added, "The real question here is, what are _you_ doing? I'm pretty sure Adrien is bleeding out over there. Maybe do something about that?"

Marinette noticed Kim and Max had turned their attention to attempting to wake Nino, who grumbled something about "5 more minutes" while swatting at them. Adrien, still bleeding from his multitude of wounds, managed to push up to his knees. He brought one foot under him and stood with great effort, just as his rogue ensemble fell away to reveal the brown leather attire of his fencer form.

Adrien appeared to waver a bit on his feet while attempting to catch his breath, the multitude of tiny wounds continuing to ooze bright red blood that steadily trickled toward the floor. "A-Adrien?" she questioned, a little dazed to see her heroic partner transform into her crush before her eyes. Watching the shadowed, masked face fad away to reveal Adrien, his hair somehow perfectly tossled despite the endeavor they had just been through, made her breath catch in her throat, bringing back her familiar stutter. He looked up just as Marinette approached, the hint of a smile playing at his lips.

"Hey," he greeted on an exhale, the breathy word sounding almost like a sigh.

Marinette felt her heart skip a beat at the intimacy his exhausted voice mimicked. "Hey," she squeaked. Clearing her throat as she felt a heated flush ignite her cheeks, she tried again. "So you're… I never thought that you… I mean thought that _he_ , but then I guess you're- " She paused, uncertain of how to say the words she never imagined she would say. "You're… him?"

Adrien's emerald green eyes were staring into hers, watching intently for her reaction to this revelation. He was silent for a moment before replying: "…Yeah."

Marinette blinked. "Oh."

The two stared at each other in silence for what seemed like an eternity.

Marinette blinked again. "…OK." Marinette felt like she had lost the ability to speak, and it was all she could do to gurgle the two letters to break the interminable silence. Feeling like an idiot, she puffed her cheeks to sigh before realizing she was still face-to-face with Adrien. Not wanting to blow a lungful of air in his face, she parted her lips only slightly. The air escaped his lips in a hiss as her cheeks deflated.

Adrien's Chat-like chuckle caused him to pitch forward a bit too much for his unsteady legs, but Marinette caught him as he stumbled forward, wrapping her arms around his bare torso to keep him on his feet. The boy's head hung heavy on his weary neck, his face angled slightly downward so his lips hovered inches from her ear. His hot breath warmed the flesh of her neck in short bursts as he continued to laugh, bone-tired but amused. This was not at all how he planned to reveal himself to Marinette as one of Paris's super-duo. _Battered, bleeding, and too exhausted to stand… yes, very 'suavissimo.'_

Marinette's eyes were wide, her cheeks aflame, as she clung to the partially nude boy. She awkwardly tried to right him for a few moments, but realizing his legs were too weak to support himself, guided him gently to sit on the floor instead. Once they were both safely seated, she stared at the ground, hesitant to meet his beautiful eyes again.

"Ahhh… s-sorry about that! I didn't mean to be so… forward!" Marinette winced. _So forward? He's going to think you were just looking for an opportunity to grab him, like some perv!_ She risked a glance up and met his eyes again.

Adrien was grinning, seeming not to notice her social blunder. "It's OK," he replied, his words slightly slurred as if he was half-asleep. "After all, I kissed you first."

Marinette's lips parted slightly, her gaze locked with his, but no words came. After a moment, his eyebrows pinched together, his countenance taking on a more serious and slightly nervous look, as he added, "Was that… OK?"

 _OK?!_ Marinette's mind reeled in recollection of the kiss, of the fire that had ignited within her at the sensation of his lips pressed to hers that made her heart dance. And that was _before_ she realized it was Adrien! "More than OK, that was incredible…" she mused dreamily.

Adrien's eyes widened, a pink tinge coming to his cheeks. "Ah—ah I meant to say, I hope you're not angry that I had to… to wake you. Without your permission." He reached one arm behind his head to scratch his neck nervously.

Unbidden, a litany of images cycled through her head: Chat (Adrien) hugging her tightly to protect her from Timebreaker. Chat (Adrien) tenderly kissing her hand time and time again. Chat (Adrien) clinging to her as they swing through the streets of Paris. And finally… Chat (Adrien) pinned to the ground as she kissed him. _As. She. Kissed. Adrien._ Marinette stared wide-eyed at the absurdly perfect boy, absent-mindedly catching her teeth on her bottom lip as her heart sped to likely-dangerous speeds. She had, in fact, kissed _him_ first!

"I… I understand," she mumbled. Before she thought better of it, she added a "Thank you." Adrien's lips twitched in the beginning of a smile he was trying to resist before she amended, a little too loudly, "for saving me."

With a mischievous sparkle in his eye that reminded her so much of Chat, he answered, "Anytime, Princess."

She smiled softly at him, a dreamy look in her eyes, until the gorgeous green eyes fluttered and began to fall out of her view. Catching him by the shoulders again, Marinette hurried to apologize for her oversight.

"OH! Oh jeez I'm so sorry! Hold on, let me heal you!" she spoke quickly, laying him gently on the ground.

Adrien's eyes fluttered open again as he took a shaky, expectant inhale.

Marinette's brows pinched, her hands flickering inches from his bare chest as she attempted to access any reserves of power, as she took in his expression. "Does it… does it hurt? When I heal you?" Her power wavered again as her concern for him fought against her reluctance to cause him any discomfort.

"No, not at all," he replied, easing his eyes shut and painting his face with an era of calm to ease the cleric's trepidation. "It's just… overwhelming. In a good way." Adrien felt his cheeks prickle with heat as he confessed, "In a _really_ good way."

Marinette wasn't sure she understood him correctly, but the meaning she gleaned from the lightly-teasing tone of voice made her flesh ignite. She was glad his eyes were closed, as she was certain her face was ketchup-red. _She made Adrien feel good … In THAT way?_ Her hands began to glow lightly as she found herself again imagining his lips pressed against hers, his hungry mouth tasting her swollen lower lip as her fingertips danced along the exposed skin of his back.

Her heart fluttered again. Marinette knew she was already exhausted, and he had multiple wounds that needed to be healed. If she failed to treat all of the injuries, he would continue to bleed. Given the amount of blood he had already lost, that might be disastrous. She would need to conserve her power without failing to mend his wounds. She breathed in slowly through her nose. Concentrating, she focused her power into her fingertips, causing them to shine brighter. _He's relying on you,_ she reminded herself. _Your partner needs you, you can do this._

Gently, she touched a glowing fingertip to the edge of one of the long, linear lacerations that raked across his chest. Immediately on contact, Adrien gasped, his chest rising to meet her as his eyes squeezed more tightly shut. The blond boy held his breath as she traced the injury, the oozing red line disappearing as she went.

A quiet squeak escaped his throat through his held breath as she started on the second injury in a similar manner, tracing carefully to focus her power only where it was needed. Adrien let out a shaky breath and inhaled again as she completed her work on his chest and moved on to his arms. Stretching out both hands to reach his arms, Marinette couldn't help but feel like the gesture was a sort of embrace. She smiled softly at the thought and refocused her attention on her work.

Her fatigue beginning to take hold, Marinette was concentrating too much on maintaining her magic to notice Adrien begin to tremble as she sat him up to care for the wounds on his back in a similar manner. His breathing was ragged as she continued to tenderly trace her delicate fingertips across his body, and Adrien nearly swallowed his tongue as her hands reached through the tears in his pants to contact the rended skin of his thighs. He had never been caressed like this before. The fact that her touch brought with it a silken electricity that aroused him to no end made the contact blissful and nearly intolerable. His fingers flexed at his sides, wanting to touch her, to explore her soft skin as she discovered him.

Then, she touched his face.

His eyes opened reflexively at the contact of her soft palms gently cupping his cheeks. Green eyes met blue as she gazed at him, her bluebell gaze so full of concern for him that he felt his heart melt.

Marinette's vision was beginning to blur as she tried to force the last of her energy into her hands to heal the lacerations on Adrien's face. As she pressed her palms into the only remaining wounds, his piercing gaze captured hers. His eyes were so intense, so bright, that she felt swept into them. Then, he was moving toward her. Slowly. Inch by inch, their faces drew closer, his eyes never leaving hers, the completed healing forgotten. Marinette drew a quivering breath through slightly-parted lips.

"The Sleeping Bard has aroused!" Max's declaration tore the two from their dreamlike state, and they both instantly sat backward, embarrassed by their suggestive pose.

"I was just healing him!" Marinette exclaimed in a rush, her face bowed to hide her blush.

"Suuuuurrreee…" Alya giggled lightly. While it was not at all abnormal for her friend to blush, the light tinge in Adrien's cheeks had not escaped her keen eye. "Well how about we leave you to it, and when you're done _healing_ , we'll move on?"

Max looked from the pair to the archer and back again. "I believe that the healing ritual has been completed: no evidence of the bleeding wounds curse remains," the sorcerer stated matter-of-factly.

Nino, now awake, alert, and well-rested, laughed overtly. "Way to ruin it, dude."

* * *

 _Author's Note: Ding dong, the Beholder is dead! FINALLY! And Max, ever the oblivious buzzkill... or is that a tinge of jealousy I sense? O_O_


	16. Vault Master's Discovery

Chapter 16:

"Impossible!" A loud _crack_ accentuated Vault Master's incensed cry as he slammed his skeletal fists into the armrests of the imposingly large throne that adorned the Great Hall, from where he had been overseeing the adventurer's progress. The sound could have come from damage the stone seat or his own fragile physical form, but he cared little as his power was not tied to his corporeal manifestation in any way.

"What happened?" Hawkmoth's voice reverberated in Ethan's head as if the man had communicated through surround sound speakers set into the cavernous room.

The warlock stared blankly at the magic tome opened before him. As the game progressed, the information that cluttered the pages in the form of images and his own recognizable script would shift, reflecting the action of the others. While he bore the power to add to the pages of his own volition, creating new content, his magic was limited to only filling in spaces that had been rendered blank by the destruction of the original manual. While he could fill in blanks and missing information, he could not alter anything that had been written previously, nor could he undo the actions of the others. After all, the world in which they were now living was a reflection of people and objects that still existed in real life. According to Hawkmoth, College Francois-Dupont was frozen in time in 21st century Paris, encased in a shimmering dark cloud and completely inaccessible to outsiders. He had taken full advantage of this ability in the Beholder's Chamber: the room was written to have been littered with corpses of fallen adventurers that the Beholder had defeated. A simple curse added to the room had rendered the innumerable forms undead, making the difficult boss encounter essentially unbeatable.

However, to Ethan's puzzlement, his undead warriors had suddenly failed to revive. He could tell from the turn record that the cleric had performed a blessing, which he knew was a weakness to all undead. But from the following turn events, it seemed the others were now producing fatal strikes as well.

 _Had she blessed the weapons_? No; the berserker had destroyed an enemy by crushing it underfoot. Even a blessed weapon wouldn't give him such power.

His eyes flicked to description of his curse tucked into the bottom corner of the page, under the section describing the characteristics of the room. This tugged at him for significance. _Did the cleric possess the power to bless the whole room?_ No, a simple high-school girl couldn't possess such power with so little in-game experience. … _Could she?_

" _ANSWER ME!"_ Hawkmoth's demand boomed. Ethan knew that the bestower of his powers had no window into the world of Vaults and Villains besides the telepathic communication with the Vault Master himself. The mysterious voice had admitted as much shortly after the game had begun, explaining that his perception revealed only the frozen school and not the events of Ethan's fantasy world, and that he would therefore require frequent updates through the connection they shared. It did not take long for Ethan to realize that Hawkmoth was not a particularly patient man.

"They seem to have found and exploited a weakness of the Undead," Vault Master replied matter-of-factly, his eyes bouncing around the page as he struggled to keep up with the ever-changing information reflecting a battle in the complex language of the Vault Master's Manual. The warlock's skillful mind could translate the information with such detail it was like watching the scene play out before him, except with graphical displays of efficacy and strength of each attack or defense. He knew from experience that winning or losing would come down to such details. Just as they had taken advantage of using holy power against the undead, he would capitalize on the weaknesses they revealed as fighters. His first scheme had been to remove their only reliable tank: the cleric. It was an amateur move and lacked subtly, he knew, and the team had immediately recognized their need to retrieve her despite the danger such a rescue threatened.

Still, the party was rather inexperienced to attempt to take on a Beholder… or so he thought. However, the cleric seemed to possess more power than he had anticipated, and the fencer was somehow managing to remain atop the flailing abomination, demonstrating dexterity beyond that which his character stats suggested.

"What of your giant creature? Have you managed to draw out Ladybug and Cat Noir?" Hawkmoth interrupted his thoughts again, his voice edged with irritation due to Vault Master's clipped answers.

"The bard is down. The creature has lost some HP but was successful in restoring itself. They've made no move to destroy the restorative tentacle…. A novice mistake," Vault Master voiced his assessment of the action for Hawkmoth's benefit. After a pause, he added, "Regarding your heroes, I only see the powers that I granted to the adventurers. The other inhabitants of the Vault appear to be merely human."

"Foolish boy, of course they appear as human!" Hawkmoth hissed his reply. "Their powers were not bestowed upon them by _you_ or your silly game _!"_

"You don't understand!" snapped Vault Master. "I can see this world to its bones! I don't just see a _human_ , I see their entire description, all of their strengths and weakness, every aspect of their potential power numerically quantified as a list of statistics." The pages of the manual magically flipped to a different section, and Ethan drove a finger into several detailed character descriptions to accentuate his point. "Every power, every affinity. So I would _know—_ " Flipping back to the section recording the events of the battle, Vault Master's gasp cut off his passionate retort.

Hawkmoth seethed in his observatory, infuriated that this petulant child would speak to him with such disrespect, despite the fact that he recognized that he did _not_ fully understand Vault Master's role in the reality he had created. Usually, his akumas would grant an individual power to use in _this_ world: never before had one created a world entirely separated from reality. If Ethan could indeed read the world like a book, shouldn't he recognize the presence of super heroes? Could he have been mistaken in his belief that Ladybug and Cat Noir were students at College Francois-Dupont? Or perhaps, were their Miraculous powers rendered useless in the fantasy realm? Hawkmoth didn't have time to dwell on the questions, his attention drawn to Ethan's hurried account of developments.

"There's a new magic! A huge power, just engulfing the Beholder! This… this is not possible! None of them possess such destructive energy!"

 _Destructive energy._ Hawkmoth's eyes widened at the words. _The power of destruction…_

"No… how?" For the first time in their working relationship, Ethan's voice sounded to Hawkmoth to be bewildered, confused. The villain himself felt a flutter of trepidation. He was forced to rely entirely on Ethan to succeed in this endeavor. The boy could not lose control.

"The Beholder is dead. There's a new character." To Hawkmoth's relief, Ethan's voice had regained its composure, relating the information in a matter of fact tone.

"You are certain it is new? Are all the others accounted for?" Hawkmoth could not keep the excitement from his voice. Ethan knew what each character looked like. If one of the other icons was missing, replaced with this new one bearing the power of destruction…

"The icon appeared from nowhere. A cloaking mechanism, maybe? I suppose it could have been elsewhere in the Vault; the icons appear as part of the map, which is spread over multiple pages. My attention has been divided between watching the group and completing the Vault. This is, however, the first time he or she has appeared in battle." He paused for a moment to trace the pictured icons and think before continuing.

"The others are still here: archer, cleric, warrior, sorcerer, bard, fencer… and then _this_. There is no character description for a pawprint icon. A beastmaster perhaps? Or maybe a pet that joined the fight." Ethan's adaptability was what made him an excellent Vault Master. While he should have been put off by this unforeseen development, his mind reeled with possible explanations, intrigued at the mystery.

The warlock teleported in a blink, eager to assess the new inhabitant of the Beholder's Chamber. Not wanting to be discovered, he left his corporeal form behind in the Great Hall, the cloak-clad bones falling into a heap as they no longer possessed an inhabitant. The disembodied burning blue eyes that opened in the shadowed corner of the room went completely unnoticed by the adventurers. Most crowded around the bard, who was just beginning to rouse, while the fencer and cleric sat apart from the others. On the ground not a foot away from the fencer slept a small, cat-like creature.

"It's Chat Noir," Hawkmoth said flatly, responding to Ethan's words, unaware that the other was currently staring at the easily-recognizable form of a kwami rather than the bearer of the Cat Miraculous.

"That's… him? He's transformed into a… a cat creature." Ethan's glowing eyes narrowed. He guessed it was the superhero's presence that boosted the power and perseverance of the others to "heroic" proportions. He berated himself for not seeing the signs earlier: the bard playing unimpeded by a severe injury, the cleric's ability to heal grievous wounds despite her beginner's level, the berserker maintaining sense enough through rage to pull the bard from danger. He had not invited this _Chat Noir_ into his game, and his presence was certainly unwelcome. The new fighter was a threat to his carefully crafted adventure. You can't just add a character without the approval of the Vault Master. That was _cheating_.

"Do you see his Miraculous? His ring!" Hawkmoth's breath caught with a realization just as the words escaped him. If the world had transformed the superheroes into other beings as it had the humans, perhaps their Miraculouses would have vanished as well. He mentally cursed himself for not remembering a similar problem with Reflekta's powers. A sinking feeling in his stomach told him the truth even before Vault Hunter's reply came.

"No ring. But there wouldn't be one, he's not _really_ here. Not the Chat Noir you know at least. However, he must have been in the school to have been transported here."

Hawkmoth's voice had a decidedly sinister edge as he commanded, "Then you will destroy him." He paused before amending, "…but not yet. First we must draw out Ladybug. If we destroy them there…"

"Then they will no longer be part of the game. Their characters would die, and the players rejected from the game," Vault Master concluded.

"Forced back into the world, and into my waiting hands!" Hawkmoth's grin was not reflected in his cold tone as he stared at the image of the school projected before him. Police had surrounded the area, establishing a perimeter in case anyone or anything emerged from the school. The yellow-taped area was lit with spotlights around the clock. The sudden appearance of a new person would not be missed.

"And then, I shall have my revenge!" both villains said in unison.

* * *

 _Author's note: Sorry for the short chapter! Life is keeping me busy, and when I do get a chance to write the inspiration is slow in coming. I've got a few moments in my head (like the long-awaited Ladybug reveal!) but there's a lot missing in between. Anyway I've refocused on getting completed chapters out, even if they're shorter, just to keep the story going with the quality I want. I feel like it would be months for each chapter if I aim for 3000 words. Hope that's OK with everybody!_

 _Unrelated note, so as not to confuse: a lot of Vault Master's assumptions about Chat Noir in this chapter are wrong, made in haste and anger. Plagg's power is the same as always, Ethan just underestimates the friends' drive to protect each other and, as a newcomer to Paris, isn't as familiar with the super-duos' actual powers. Marinette and Adrien are more accustomed to magic than Ethan gives them credit for, but the others are true beginners with a lot of heart. Thanks for reading! -Floof_


	17. If Only

VV 17

Despite her utter exhaustion, Marinette could not calm herself. Not after what had just happened.

 _He was going to kiss me._ Marinette's cheeks prickled from the flush that burned there as her mind recreated the image of Adrien's face a mere breath from hers, his eyelids slightly hooding those beautiful green eyes. Her head began to swim as she imagined closing that tiny distance and pressing her lips to his…

"Marinette? Focus."

… _again._ A shaky breath hissed through her nose as she remembered that she had, in fact, kissed Adrien already. TWICE. She wasn't sure if the kiss to break the akuma's spell on Chat Noir should really count: it was just a peck, really. She hadn't really been paying attention to it. Although if she had known _then_ it was Adrien she was kissing _…_ well, that would have been a different story! _Yeah, right,_ she internally scorned. _You probably wouldn't have had the guts to do it at all if you had known it was him!_ _The kiss he had used to awaken you, on the other hand… now THAT was a kiss!_ She absently brought one hand to her chest, as if to still the thundering heart inside.

She still couldn't wrap her head around the idea that Adrien was Chat Noir. _The two blond-haired boys seemed nothing alike. Adrien was so sweet and soft-spoken, well-mannered, and always so composed, levelheaded. Chat Noir was anything but! Chat was a strike first, ask questions later kind of guy, no regard for consequence. His brazen behavior would often get him into trouble, like when he was caught by Copycat or transformed by Reflekta. The way he would rush headlong into danger was careless, foolish even! …albeit brave._ She had a hard time picturing Adrien doing ANYTHING reckless. _On the other hand, most people probably couldn't imagine the clumsy, absentminded Marinette swinging through the streets of Paris as Ladybug either, I'm sure._

Another thought bloomed inside her at the suggestion: Ladybug. _You have to tell him._

"MARINETTE!" The annoyance in Max's voice was apparent as it broke through Marinette's daydream, snapping her back to reality. "If you refuse to take this seriously," the small sorcerer continued, "you put all of our lives in danger." He took a deep, calming breath. "Meditation is the most efficacious method of replenishing your magic, so I must insist that you _focus._ "

"Sorry Max, I just…" Marinette's trailed off as her eyes flicked to Adrien who, now entirely healed, was having some sort of debate with Plagg across the room. Their voices were not quite discernible, but the black kwami was animatedly gesturing toward her satchel, which contained the biscuits. She watched as the cat god flopped onto its back mid-air, feigning death, which earned an exasperated sigh from Adrien.

"I made him do it."

Marinette hadn't realized she had become distracted again until Max spoke. She turned to him, embarrassed that she had been caught blatantly staring at Adrien. "Ugh, I am so sorry! I'm focused, I'm ready, I—wait, what?"

Max lowered his eyes, not meeting her gaze. "About… Adrien. I made him kiss you. It wasn't his idea. Statistically he had the best chance of reaching you, and since the effectiveness of the kiss to break the spell essentially relies on luck, _literally_ a dice roll, I calculated his approach as the most likely to succeed. So I asked him to do it."

Marinette blinked, resisting the urge to glance back toward her crush. "But I… he… He didn't want to kiss me?" She tried to sound nonchalant, but probably failed. _But after the kiss, hadn't they had a moment? Hadn't he said he enjoyed it? No… no SHE had said that, like a huge dork! He had … apologized?_ Tears began to form in her eyes as reality washed over her. She had known, deep down, that it was too good to be true. _A crush on_ _Ladybug, sure, maybe. But what was there to like about plain, boring Marinette?_

Max looked up, surprised to see the hint of a tear in her bright, blue eyes. "No, no!" he said hurriedly. "I didn't mean… I mean he didn't SAY… but then, who wouldn't want to kiss you, right?"

He blushed furiously as her eyes widened in surprise.

"I-I mean, you _are_ kind of amazing, Marinette," Max uncharacteristically stammered. "I don't mean just in the game. You…(he paused, searching for the right words).. are a very kind, creative, and caring person. Your energy and optimism is inspiring." He took a breath before continuing. "Do you know, I didn't have a single friend until the day we met and you gave me your croissant, the first day of second grade? I'll never forget that. 'You look sad. These always cheer me up!' you had said. You presumed I sat alone because my friends had not been placed in my class that year, but in truth I had none. I was too shy. Then Kim sat next to me and asked to share the snack, and we've been friends since. I… never properly thanked you for that. So… thank you."

Marinette didn't know what to say. She did remember meeting Max in second grade, but she thought he had been friends with Kim already since they sat together since that first day. She'd always thought of Max as a somewhat quiet but kind boy, and considered him a friend, but she had no idea she had had such an effect on his life.

"Thank you, Max," she said with a sincere smile. "I get a little too caught up in games sometimes, you know? You're absolutely right, I was reading way too much into one kiss." Although her tone was dismissive, Marinette still felt her heart flutter a bit at the word kiss. Game strategy or not, she _had_ kissed Adrien, a wonderful, REAL kiss, and she would hold that memory for as long as she lived.

"I may know something about getting caught up in games," Max grinned at her. "If you recall, this is not the first time I embodied a video game character. It's becoming a rather irksome hobby of mine."

* * *

"But that only leaves ONE biscuit!" Adrien exclaimed to his gluttonous kwami, currently sprawled out midair as if he had died of starvation.

"How much food is left is not MY fault!" Plagg retorted. "It's not like I was warned ahead of time to pack for an expedition!"

"It IS your fault, because you saw how much food we had and you ate most of it!" Adrien countered.

"Yeah, well… maybe you shouldn't work me so hard then! So in a way, this is all YOUR fault!" Plagg leaned back with a self-satisfied smirk, taking a large bite of the next-to-last biscuit pilfered from Marinette's satchel.

Adrien ran a hand through his already untidy hair. Too much was happening, too fast. First Marinette was kind of dead, but then he had a chance to save her. Then it worked, but he had to (oh-no-big-deal) kiss the gorgeous, kind girl who oh-by-the-way probably hated the "teen model rich kid" classmate that he was, despite his attempts to smooth over their terrible first impression. _Oh GODS had that felt good!_ He shook his head to clear his thoughts. _And to make things worse, she had pegged you as Chat Noir from the start! What are you going to do about THAT?! But it didn't really matter because Plagg had eaten almost all the food, which means both yours and Ladybug's kwamis would soon run out of energy, rendering you both useless…_

 _Ladybug's kwami._ Tiki. Although the speckled bug-god was not forthcoming about details of her holder, even after he identified himself as Chat Noir, Adrien felt that he could potentially learn something just by identifying the kwami.

His train of thought was broken by a loud burp from Plagg.

"Are you just gonna pine for her, or are you gonna actually say something?!" the bloated kwami asked.

"Plagg, you know I'm in love with Ladybug!" Adrien replied reflexively. Even as he said the words, he wondered if they were true. _Surely, he admired Ladybug. She was a true superheroine, intuitive and strong and brave, and absolutely gorgeous too!_ But at the same time, she seemed annoyed by him… _annoyed by Chat Noir, the BEST him. What would she think of the privileged, awkward model you really are?_

Plagg scoffed. "I know you're (he rolled his eyes) IN LOVE with a girl who doesn't even exist. How can you, a super hero yourself, be obsessed with a mask?"

Adrien was prepared to retort, but had no reply. Plagg had a point. Just as he could truly be himself as Chat Noir but was nothing like his carefree alter-ego in real life, there was a girl out there, somewhere, who WAS Ladybug but was not Ladybug. And he didn't know her AT ALL.

Adrien smiled a bit… just a half-smile, as his gaze flicked toward Marinette. His sweet but clumsy classmate had shown a new side to herself since becoming trapped in this realm… _or maybe he had just failed to appreciate it before. While Marinette had always seemed shy in their personal interactions, she had shown leadership skills and initiative in the past, like when she protected the whole class from Darkblade._ He flinched at the recollection. Just after the battle, he had overheard Marinette saying she had become one of Darkblade's knights. He just couldn't help himself and had exclaimed, "It was a KNIGHT-mare!", striking the appropriate pose, before realizing he had de-transformed from Chat Noir to regular old Adrien. He got out of there as fast as he could, but in hindsight, maybe something about his classmate had reminded him of his Lady?

 _Yeah, right, in your dreams!_ He shook his head. _You may be stuck in a fantasy, Agreste, but it's not YOUR fantasy_ , he reminded himself.

 _If only…_


	18. The Stone Warriors' Trial

Vaults and Villains: Chapter 18

After a bit of rest, the group made their way back into the cavernous hallways of the third floor. Max led the way through the dim corridors, following the woefully incomplete map in search of the next stairwell. The sections depicting the upper floors seemed to be missing the most information, although with some creative inferences, he was pretty sure he had recreated a path to the next stairwell. Adrien walked by at his side straining to stay alert for traps, the fencer's rapier feeling awkward at his hip compared to the light daggers he had become accustomed to. Knowing that food was scarce thanks to Plagg's ravenous appetite, he had opted to remain in his fencer form unless transformation was absolutely necessary. Although this greatly hindered his aptitude at trap detection, he couldn't afford to waste Plagg's strength. To make matters worse, his concentration was continuously pulled to thoughts of Marinette, her knowledge of his identity, and his feelings toward her and Ladybug.

Alya and Marinette followed, the former animatedly recounting the revelation of Adrien's 'fairy' and how the group had fought their way through kobolds, archers, and some crazy killer plant-thing to find Marinette, while the latter tried not to stare at the back of a certain blond head. She still couldn't get used to the sight of the kwami perched nonchalantly on his shoulder: Adrien had insisted the cat-god remain in view since the last battle in order to protect the last remaining biscuit. Marinette silently berated herself for not taking the opportunity to tell Adrien her true identity when she had the chance. It seemed unfair to keep herself hidden after she had discovered his secret, especially when Ladybug could be of help, but she just didn't know how to tell him… and feared his disappointment at the truth.

Nino trailed behind, absently flexing his tight hand as Kim tried to reassure him. Once she had regained her strength, Marinette had tried to heal the scars that hindered his left hand, but without much success. Her power had glowed through her hands as usual, but the glow seemed unable to penetrate the waxy tissue. Max had postulated that Marinette's abilities were limited strictly to healing, and as the injury to Max's hand had technically already _healed_ somewhat, her abilities had limited effect. Marinette had tried again and again, but had only managed to effect the raw tissue that had been the worst of the burn, the part that had not healed with the bard's earlier rest. Nino sighed.

"It's still a lot better though dude. Seriously, you could probably still play some! Just nothing too crazy, you know? I mean, we were kinda OP anyway." Kim encouraged.

Nino smirked a bit at this, although he had his doubts. "You think? I mean, even at my best I'm just a bard. It's not like I can swing an ax like you can, or cast magic fireballs like Max can. I don't even know what I'm doing most of the time!"

The stout dwarf had to reach up to put an overly large hand on Nino's shoulder. "Brah," he said, a serious expression on his face, "You made us _fly_."

Nino grinned. "I suppose that was pretty epic."

* * *

The group caught up to Max and Adrien as the reached a large chamber, the far wall of which was adorned with five life-sized depictions of warriors standing at attention, each unique and emerging from an intricately carved rectangular stone block stretching to the edge of the high ceiling. A dirty crimson rug with gold trim, once fine but worn with footfalls and age, covered most of the floor, lending the chamber a regal look. Torches lined the walls, somehow still aflame although a thick layer of dust suggested that the room had been vacant for some time. The statues each appeared to be cut from the wall in such a way that they were nearly freestanding, with only their backs melding into the etched stone wall behind. In front of each sat a large golden bowl with a hammered finish, the inside of each stained with soot.

As the group took in the grand room, it was Alya who first poined out the obvious: "It's a dead end."

Max turned in a circle, glancing back the way they had come, then back toward the statues, his head bobbing from the map to his surroundings. "I believe this is the correct location," he offered hesitantly. "The map depicts this chamber as 'Warrior's Rest,' which seems an appropriate moniker given the effigies placed here, although the map clearly indicates the room as a passageway. Adrien, do you sense a hidden mechanism of some sort?"

Adrien looked around, but the only suspicious part of the room was the far wall, where the statues stood… although it didn't take any special rogue sense to determine _that_. He approached the statues to examine them more closely, unnerved at the lifelike detail. Frowning, he finally replied, "Well they're creepy, but I don't sense any traps or hidden switches nearby."

"Guys, it's obvious!" Kim declared, gesturing for them to move toward the edges of the room. Once the group was clear of it, Kim grabbed the edge of the large rug. "Ta da!" he exclaimed, throwing the rug back with a flourish.

The entire group gasped and coughed as a thick cloud of dust erupted from the ancient, threadbare rug as Kim tossed it aside. Max sneezed several times, and Alya spat colorful non-obscenities as she scratched at her nose. As the filthy haze cleared, they all looked expectantly at the spot on the floor the rug had been: a comparatively clean but otherwise unremarkable patch of floor. Kim smiled sheepishly. "Sorry guys, that usually works!"

Using one of his voluminous sleeves to discretely dab at his nose, Max countered, "Yes, if we were trying to find a way _down_ perhaps. We're looking for a passage _upward_."

Kim blinked, and then shrugged, glancing away from the group with obvious embarrassment.

Adrien raked his fingers through his hair and scratched at his scalp as if shampooing, causing more dust to sprinkle around him, before glancing up to see Marinette looking at him. He tried to give her a confident, Chat-like grin, but didn't expect the soft giggle he got in return. Her eyes flicked upward slightly, calling his attention to his hair, which was now standing on end thanks to his efforts. He blushed slightly as he hurriedly smoothed it back down, but couldn't help but smile at her bemused grin. It was then that he noticed the etchings in the wall just behind her, nearly hidden among the intricately carved backdrops of the statue figures.

"Hey guys! There's writing here!" Adrien exclaimed, stepping toward the confused blackette. Not sure where he was headed, Marinette stood still as he approached. (She intrinsically knew that whatever direction she moved would be the wrong one, leading to that awkward face-to-face side shuffle where they repeatedly move in the same direction as he attempted to get by.) He took the opportunity to walk _right_ up to her with a few long strides, meeting her gaze and raising his eyebrows with a quick upward motion as they stood nearly chest to chest, before placing a hand on the wall behind her where the script was hidden. Adrien was pleased when his playful flirtation earned him a blush from her as she took a small step backward, even more so when he caught the edge of a shy smile tugging at her lips. Their private moment was unfortunately interrupted as the rest of the group crowded around them to read the script.

Sure enough, lines of flowing text were etched into the walls behind the statues, hiding among the intricate designs.

Max read aloud:

" _Pray thee here for entry blessed_

 _With burning pyre at gods' behest._

 _In proper order praises sing,_

 _Lest to thineself the stone curse bring._

 _The first, among the others stands._

 _The next, on sword he rests his hands._

 _The third, with hound, alert for peril,_

 _Stands oft aflank his fellow heralds._

 _The fourth dost play melodic sound._

 _The last betwixt the warriors found._

 _With careful thought I bid thee pray,_

 _Lest ever stand you guard, as they."_

"So… we say a prayer to open the door?" Nino guessed.

Standing beside him, Alya nodded in agreement. "Yeah it seems like. 'With burning pyre,' I bet they want us to light fires in the bowls. I've heard of people burning prayers before, and it looks like something has been burnt in there before."

"Probably… and it says we have to do it in the right order," Kim continued. "But what's that next part mean?"

"It implies that, should we light the pyres in the wrong order, we will be cursed," Max explained. "The end of the poem suggests that the curse will trap us here forever, likely as stone statues."

"But Marinette can cure that, right?" Alya asked. "Just like she cured Adrien's bleeding curse?"

Max's brows furrowed in thought. "To be frank, I cannot say… but likely not. It is true that clerics can acquire the ability to heal curses, but different curses require different levels of skill to counteract. Adrien's curse was a bleeding _wounds_ curse: Marinette may have been able to heal him only because she could heal the wounds themselves. I image that this curse, intrinsic to the Vault itself, is likely extraordinarily powerful. While her healing gifts are quite remarkable, it would require a master-level cleric with maximum skill points distributed into the "Counter Curse" skill to even attempt to reverse such an effect."

The group gave a start as, unexpectedly, deep laughter began to echo through the chamber.

"Choose wisely, heroes!" Vault Master's disembodied voice mocked them, "or you shall find your feeble party weakened further… with more trials awaiting you still! How many of you will reach the final chamber? Enough to defeat _me?_ Hahahaha!"

Vault Master's voice, formerly smooth and calm, now had an edge of excitement to it that Marinette found very disconcerting. It was as if he was _enjoying_ the prospect of their failure. Her eyes shifted to the satchel where Tiki still hid. _Could Ladybug even help with something like this?_

Nino took a deep breath, steadying his rattled nerves. "We really don't have a choice, right? We have to move forward. But maybe… " he glanced around at his friends. "When we decide to light them, I want to be the one to do it. In case something goes wrong."

"No Nino, you heard what Max said!" Alya contended. "You'll be turned into a stone statue if we're wrong!"

When the bard met her eyes, Alya could not detect even a hint of the playfulness that usually sparkled in them. "One of us has to do it," he stated quietly. "Adrien is the strongest with his ability to transform, Marinette is the only healer. Kim does physical damage, Max does magical damage, and we need you for range. I'm the only one that's expendable. You know I'm right."

Alya glanced to Max, hoping he would have a counterpoint, but the sorcerer would not meet her eyes. Biting her lip, the archer huffed with indignation. "Well! Then we'd better know for darned sure we have the order right before _any_ of us touches those things! What were the hints again?"

As Max re-read the verses, Marinette took in the 5 figures. The first figure, on the far left, was dressed in a doublet, wore a close-shaven beard, and held a lute similar in appearance to Nino's. The second reminded her of Robin Hood and wore a feathered cap, a large dog crouching by his right heal with its ears perked in attention, and held a tome under his arm. A quiver and bow were strapped to his mostly-visible back, disappearing into the wall behind him. The statue in the middle was dressed in a full suit of knight's armor: his face obstructed by a face guard and left arm bearing a large shield etched with a dragon crest, he rested both hands on the pommel of a broadsword balanced on its tip in front of him. The second to last figure, holding a lyre, had flowing long hair and a clean-shaven face, with his empty fist crossed over a bare, heavily muscled chest in some sort of salute. The figure on the far right was also clad in armor, although his was not typical of a knight, including a single wicked-looking spiked pauldron and curved spikes protruding from the gauntlets. He too had both hands on his sword, although his rested on the T-shaped crossguard due to the weapon's enormous size, the hilt reaching almost to his chin. Another dog-creature, as large as a wolf, sat by his side.

Nino cleared his throat nervously. "So… anybody have any ideas?"

* * *

 _Author's Note: Hi everyone! I'm so happy to be back, and truly flattered to see familiar names still following the story! In answer to your questions, YES! I will be updating more frequently now that my life has settled a bit. Now, a humble request: If you figure out the order that is the answer to the puzzle, please do NOT post it in the reviews... although feel free to brag about it :) The pause here is intentional to give you all a chance to figure it out! Thank you for your support, I hope you enjoy it!_


	19. To Open the Door

Vaults and Villains: Chapter 19

"Well we know one thing at least," Kim stated matter-of-factly as he plucked a torch from the wall and strode toward the armored knight statue in the middle of the group. "The first among the others stands. So the one in the middle has to be first!"

"NO!" "Wait!" "Stop!" The rest of the group cried out in unison, causing the dwarf to halt in place just as he had begun to reach the torch toward the offering bowl.

"WHAT? How could I be wrong _already_?" Kim stood straight again, rolling his eyes.

Max sighed, accustomed to Kim's recklessness. For a moment, he considered admonishing his friend's impulsive behavior, but he knew the effort would be futile. He shook his head, adopting a paternal tone. "The only thing we know for certain based on the clue is that the first figure is not on either end. Each of the three middle figures stands 'among the others.'"

"And besides, we JUST got done saying that _I_ would be the one to light the things!" Nino said pointedly.

"Yeah, I know, but I thought this was a no-brainer," Kim retorted defensively before realizing that he was only making things worse. His face reddened with embarrassment as his gaze sank to the floor.

An uncomfortable silence hung in the air for a long moment before Alya cleared her throat. "OK so let's think about this. _IF_ the one in the middle is first, then the second one must be the pointy armor guy because he's the only other one with his hands on his sword." She pointed to each statue as she ticked them off. "Which would make Robin Hood over there third because he has a dog…"

"That can't be right," Adrien interrupted. "He's not on an end. It says 'stands oft aflank.' That means the third guy has to be on an end, right?"

Alya shook her head. "Right, so then Sir Pointy over there is third… but I had him second. Ugh, I wish I could just write this down!"

"Wait, I have an idea!" Marinette chimed in. "Max, you be the first guy. You are number one, pick a statue in the middle somewhere as a potential first."

Max nodded, then held up his index finger to indicate order and stood in front of the long-haired man, second from the right.

"Great! Now Alya, you're second. Pick someone with his hands on a sword," Marinette continued.

Holding up two fingers in a V shape, Alya stood in front of "Sir Pointy," the wicked-looking knight with the wolf-like creature.

"Next, Kim. You have a dog, but…"

Kim cut her off mid-sentence to finish her thought. Holding up three fingers, he strode to Alya's spot. "But I need to be this guy! He's the only one with an animal who is also on an end!" Kim sat on the floor in front of the statue triumphantly, indicating that his spot was fixed.

Alya nodded, moving to stand in front of the shield-bearing statue in the middle, still holding her two fingers in front of her. "This works, he's got his hands on his sword too."

"Right, good!" Marinette continued excitedly. "Then Adrien, you can be fourth. You need a musical instrument."

"Got it!" Adrien grinned, standing in front of the first statue, holding up four fingers.

"Then Nino…"

Taking the cue, Nino stood in front of the only statue not claimed, the one with the feathered cap, holding his palm open to indicate 'five.' The friends looked at each other, each displaying a unique number and standing in front of a statue.

Marinette put a chin to her hand thoughtfully. "So, what do we think? Does everybody's position match the clues?"

Nino glanced from side to side, then furrowed his brows. "I dunno… I'm supposed to be 'betwixt the warriors.' No offense dude," he nodded to Adrien, "but your guy is the _least_ warrior-esque."

Adrien opened his mouth to protest, but Nino cut him off. "I know, I know… bards are warriors too, I get it." He waved his hands dismissively. "I'm not tryin' to rag on myself here, but if they specify 'betwixt the warriors,' I think they mean between _those_ guys." He pointed to the two knights. "I mean, they're the only ones with swords, AND they both have armor. That says warrior to me."

Max, bearing number one, switched spots with Nino. "This works too," Max noted. "I'm still in a middle spot."

Marinette nodded, counting them all off by the numbers they were holding up. "4, 1, 2, 5, 3. All in agreement?"

The friends again looked at each other, nodding.

Marinette took the torch from Kim with a reassuring nod.

"Wait!" Nino called out his contention but hesitated to move from his spot. "We agreed!"

"No, _you_ agreed," Marinette said firmly. "We do this together. I won't mess it up with you all standing there telling me the right order." She paused, meeting Nino's worried eyes. "Besides… _nobody_ is expendable. We are a team."

Nino swallowed the lump in his throat and nodded slowly.

Marinette approached Max, who stood in front of the second statue from the left. The gnome held his index finger rigid, almost like a salute, as if the success of their attempt relied entirely on his unwavering indication of their decided-upon order. He gave her a barely-perceptible nod. She returned the gesture with a smile, attempting to exude a confidence she did not feel, and bent to light the first pyre. "The first, among the others stands…" she whispered quietly as she touched the flame to the bowl.

The ashes in the bowl caught instantly, burning with a bright yellow flame. For a moment, everyone held their breath. The fire danced unassumingly as seconds passed. Marinette exhaled. She stood and walked to Alya, indicating the fully armored knight as number 2. Bending to light the second offering bowl, the cleric continued, "The next, on sword, he rests his hands." With a whoosh, the second bowl caught.

"The third, with hound alert for peril, stands oft aflank his fellow heralds." Kim grinned as Marinette recited the words, patting the wolf-creature's head. The third bowl caught without incident.

"The fourth dost play melodic sound…" Adrien silently recited the words along with Marinette, her voice growing louder and more confident as she continued along. They knelt together beside the bowl, and he placed his hand over hers as she lit his offering plate. She glanced up at the blond-haired boy, surprised at the contact as she had been focused on her task. With a smile, he mouthed "Together," then helped her to her feet.

Finally, Marinette approached Nino. "The last, betwixt the warriors found," she concluded, then paused. The thought struck her that the curse may not activate until all the bowls were lit, and her breath caught in her throat. _No turning back now!_ She assured herself, then lit the last remaining offering.

As the last bowl lit, all five flames burst into dazzling blue. A loud _CRACK!_ echoed through the room, followed by a grating, rumbling sound. Marinette gasped in surprise and fell backward, landing hard on her backside. The five friends that had been indicating statue order threw their arms to the sides to keep their balance as the room began to shake. _No, not the room…_

"Alya, look out!" Marinette scrambled to her feet and grabbed the bewildered archer by the arm, yanking her away from the center knight statue as it began to _move_. Stone grinding against stone, the armored knight tore itself from the wall and took a few steps forward, each footfall hammering against the floor with a weighty crash.

The group dashed to the opposite wall as the other statues tore themselves free. Adrien took on a defensive posture, prepared to ward off attack, but the stone beings did not seem to pay them any heed. Slowly, deliberately, they moved to the sides of the room, all except the center knight who stood at attention in front of the rest. Their movements were awkward and heavy, not as if they had come alive but as if the stone itself was trying to move. The etched stone wall in which they had stood crumbled away, revealing a large, arched ivory doorway where the center statue had stood, an enormous stone slab acting as a door. Behind the others were intricately painted scenes depicting dragons, perfectly preserved in the hidden space, each accented with colored gemstones. Behind the lute playing statue was a dinosaur-looking dragon, standing upright on thick, strong hind legs, its emerald scales adorned with gold so that they shone. The second scene was a flame-red, Chinese-style dragon with a long, snake-like body and 3 pairs of wings, depicted among the clouds. Flanking the door on the other side was an underwater scene with a crystalline blue dragon with moss-green fins resembling wings instead of arms, its long tail tipped with a triple fin shaped like a trident. The last was a pearl-white, four-legged dragon standing on a mountain, its enormous feathered wings spread wide. Each scene had a circular indentation etched into the chest of each dragon, marking the center of each painting.

When the other four statues lined up in attention at the sides of the room, the armored knight crashed to one knee in the center of the room, as if bowing reverently, then held perfectly still. The room now looked like a throne room, except with the stone archway took the place of a throne.

"Whoooaaa…" Alya looked around the room as if seeing it for the first time. The newly revealed wall hinted at the grandeur that the room had been before years of dust and decay had robbed it of its beauty. "What IS this place?"

Nino sighed. "It's another closed door, that's what.

Once they realized the statues were not going to move again, the group examined the archway. There was an obvious gap between the stone slab blocking the door and the archway itself, as if the slab could slide out of the way and open the door. It was just a matter of figuring out _how._

Kim tried to force the slab to either side, but the thing wouldn't budge. After ten minutes of pushing without accomplishing anything besides working up a sweat, he finally concluded that brute force was not going to work. Adrien searched the room for a hidden lever, although he suspected he wouldn't find anything as he had already searched a majority of the room once. Alya was engrossed in the pictures of the dragons, scrutinizing them for any mention of Ladybug _. If Ladybug was around in Ancient Egypt, why not the Middle Ages?_ She was so engulfed in the clues the paintings might hide that it hadn't occurred to her that they were still in the game, each detail of the place fabricated by the mind of an akumatized boy.

She regarded the circle etched into the middle of the chest of the white dragon quizzically. The circle was only about 8 inches in diameter, and was positioned where she imagined the dragon's heart would be. She reverently placed her hand in the circle, as if to feel the dragon's heartbeat. To her surprise, she _did_ feel a pulsing!

"Whoa guys!" she exclaimed, eyes sparkling. "The dragons have heartbeats!"

Max approached the red dragon, placing his hand in the circle as Alya had done, and gasped. "This is… unexpected!" He placed the fingers of his other hand against his neck. "The pulsations are synchronous with my own heartbeat!" Alya's free hand flew to her neck, confirming what Max had said.

Adrien placed his hand in the circle of the green dragon picture, and finally Kim touched the blue dragon picture. As all four of them stood with their hands against the wall, the sound of a heartbeat began to resonate through the chamber. A bright white light shone through the archway, and the huge, stone slab slid upward, opening the archway wide.

"Oh nice!" Kim said, stepping toward the now open archway. "That wasn't too-"

The burly dwarf was cut short as, when he removed his palm from its place on the wall, the stone slab crashed back into place, slamming into the ground.

"Ah… well that's a problem." Alya noted.

The increasingly familiar laughter of the Vault Master reverberated through the room quietly, as if distant, but he offered no taunts this time. His scheme was obvious. The dragon door puzzle was an easy one, but the mechanism required _four_ of them to stay behind.

"Does it have to be you four? Or does it work with anyone?" Nino asked as he stepped up to where Adrien stood, replacing his hand for Adrien's in the circle of the green dragon picture, immediately appreciating the thumping of a heartbeat coming from within the picture.

"Good question," Marinette noted, placing her hand in Kim's vacated spot. Immediately the heartbeat became audible again, and with a bright white glow, the door slid upward again.

"I guess that answers that," Adrien said. "So then the next question…." He trailed off.

"Who stays behind?" Max finished for him.

* * *

 _A/N: Poor Kim... he tries. XD  
_


	20. Sacrifice

Vaults and Villains: Chapter 20

"I should stay," Nino said, his hand still placed against the green dragon's heart. "Like I said before, you guys make a complete group… I just make you _better._ With only one other person, I can't do much, and besides… I'd kinda be a sitting duck."

"The majority of us have to stay," Max pointed out. "Maybe we should focus on the best two to keep going."

"Adrien, definitely," Alya insisted from her spot at the white dragon. "First, he can transform, so he's like two guys in one. But second, he can both attack and dodge. With only two people fighting, that's clutch."

Adrien glanced around the room. He knew what Alya was saying made sense. Besides, he _was_ Chat Noir. It was literally his duty to find and defeat the akuma, but he had a deep-seated sense of dread that he just couldn't shake. Moving forward with just two people felt _wrong_ … which was odd as he was usually so comfortable in a partnership. _Then again, that was with Ladybug…_ Shaking off his fears, he nodded.

"We should send Marinette then," Max offered. "She has already had to heal Adrien multiple times. I mean no disrespect Adrien, but based on our experiences so far, logic dictates that you are unlikely to get much farther without her."

"But Marinette is purely defense!" Alya argued. "We need more _power_. The enemies just get stronger from here right? How about Adrien and Kim?"

Kim, no longer attached to the wall since Marinette had taken his spot, had backed up toward the kneeling statue and was eyeing the suspended stone slab when he heard his name suggested. He sighed. "Listen, uhhh…" the jock-turned Berserker hesitated. "I don't know guys. I mean, I've nearly gotten us all killed, what, like 10 times now? Even when we play the game for real—I mean, not _for real_ like this, but when it's just a game—I always do something stupid. Max, you know I'm right! The times when I'm the most useful are when I'm berserk, and then I can't tell the difference between good guys and bad. I'm lucky I made it _this_ far."

Max, looking concerned, opened his mouth but Kim cut him off. "Don't get me wrong, I'm having a blast!" the dwarf grinned. "But seriously, let's not rely on me to win the game, huh?"

The sorcerer returned the smile with an understanding nod. "Well, placing _all_ of your stat points in strength and constitution does have its drawbacks," Max said.

"That's what _you_ 're there for!" Kim replied with a chuckle. "Fortis is meant to be an unstoppable force of destruction. It's your job to…y'know, figure stuff out."

"Besides, there would still be a problem," Nino chimed in. "Adrien and Kim… or Adrien and Marinette for that matter… we'd have no range. What if we run into archers again?" He turned to face Alya.

Alya nodded. "You've got a point. But if we're gonna send a ranged fighter, we should send Max. He's ranged AND magic, which counters Adrien's melee physical fighter. And anyway, Kim has a point. Max knows the game the best."

Adrien approached Max, who still stood with his hand against the red dragon, and offered a hand. "What do you say?" the blond offered. "Partners?"

Hesitantly, Max removed his hand from the wall, causing the stone slab to crash down again. This time, nobody jumped. All eyes were on Max and Adrien. While Adrien wore a (practiced) charming grin, the other expressions looked uneasy. _Were they making the right choice?_

Max moved to extend a hand, but the gesture was almost imperceptible as he immediately withdrew it again to stroke his long, gray beard. Adrien quirked an eyebrow in surprise.

"I still think we should send Marinette!" the sorcerer blurted, gripping his beard nervously.

Alya giggled, amused. "Don't tell me you're _scared_ , Max! You rock at this game, and besides, you can't argue with the facts. You're the best compliment to Adrien's fighting style!"

"It's not that…" Max trailed off. He took a deep breath, then set his features without pretension. His next words came out in a rush. "I have calculated a 98% probability that Marinette can transform with Tikki!" He nodded self-assuredly, then visibly relaxed, as if a heavy weight had been lifted from his shoulders.

"Say WHHAAAAT?!" Alya yelped, turning to face the gaping-mouthed cleric. "Girl, you didn't _tell_ us?!"

"I… uhhh…" Marinette stammered, her eyes reflexively flicking toward Adrien, whose green eyes opened wide as saucers when they met hers.

Plagg popped up from his nap in surprise, floating a few inches above Adrien's shoulder.

"I'm also fairly certain that she didn't know," Max continued. "Or Tikki, for that matter!"

Tikki came flitting out of the satchel at the repeated mention of her name. "What's going on?" the small god asked innocently.

"Max says Marinette is your master and you can transform her!" Nino exclaimed excitedly.

"What? No… that… my master is…." The kwami's mind raced as she tried to think of a logical excuse.

"You don't know _who_ your master is, do you?" Max addressed Tikki with a self-satisfied tone.

His gaze locked on hers, Adrien took a few slow steps toward Marinette, oblivious to the commotion unfolding around them. She slowly let her hand fall away from the wall to clasp the other hand in front of herself shyly, dropping her chin but unable to tear herself away from his gaze. Her cheeks burned under his scrutiny, but she felt no judgement. She wanted to say something, to tell him everything… but what was there left to tell?

"You see," Max smirked as he began his typical rambling explanation, "when we first met Tikki, she indicated to Adrien that there was food in the leather satchel, the one obviously bearing Marinette's signature design. Therefore, it must be Marinette's satchel. Having known the contents of the satchel, Tikki _must_ have already been inside the satchel, or at the very least opened it, implying that she belongs to Marinette."

"Yeah, but Plagg was in the satchel too, and he isn't Marinette's," Alya pointed out.

"Ah ha!" Max's eyes sparkled with triumph. "But that was only _after_ Marinette shared the satchel with the group! You see, in this game, bags are personal items: containers in which you can store goods, loot, food, et cetera. Only the player has access to his or her bag. Even when in a party, players cannot open another's bag or see what's inside _unless_ the bag is "shared" for communal use by the whole party. Since Marinette had not yet "shared" the bag by offering it to Alya, then Tikki _must_ belong to Marinette!"

Tikki was the only one to catch the flaw in Max's logic: unbeknownst to the group, she had actually snuck Plagg into the satchel _before_ Marinette offered the satchel to Alya. Apparently, game rules regarding bags and personal inventory did not apply to bags transported from the real world… or at least not to kwamis. _Still,_ her mind reeled, _this might be for the best._ If she went along with Max's explanation and played dumb, she could transform Marinette without arousing suspicion. Adrien would of course know the truth, but… maybe that was acceptable? She glanced toward Marinette to gauge her reaction to this unexpected revelation just as Adrien took the blackette's dainty hand in his.

Marinette's hand trembled as, without breaking eye contact, Adrien gently brought her hand to his lips and planted a delicate kiss there. "M'Lady," he said calmly, one corner of his mouth pulling into a soft smile.

With all the drama, nobody had noticed Kim had not re-joined the group gathered near the wall. From the center of the room, his voice called out: "Open the door!"

The entire group turned in surprise to see the dwarf gripping one of the torches from the wall, holding it poised above an offering plate. They watched in horror as he released his grip.

" _KIM NO!"_ Marinette screamed, reaching out toward him in vain.

The scene played out in slow motion: Kim dropping into a runner's stance as the torch fell, the thicker, heavier end of wood, bearing the flame, causing the object to rotate flame-side-down as it dropped toward the offering plate. Kim exploded from his stance at a full run just as flame met bowl, lighting into a bright yellow flame.

"OPEN THE DOOR!" Kim bellowed again, his voice carrying the timbre of authority that more closely matched the stout warrior he appeared to be than the athletic teen he truly was. Max spun, slamming his hand back to its place on the red dragon's chest, but the stone slab did not react as the blue dragon remained dormant.

No sooner had the flame in the golden dish lit then it snuffed itself out, purple-black smoke billowing from the now-unlit bowl… too much to have resulted from the small fire. It _poured_ out, rolling over itself along the floor. Quick as Kim was, the flood of smoke soon caught up to him, twisting around his trailing foot mid-dash.

Kim lurched forward as his right foot, suddenly impossibly heavy, did not leave the ground as he continued his sprint. With a few quick hops on his left foot, he glanced down. His booted foot had already become a pale gray, the details of his own appendage etched in what had become stone. _It didn't really hurt though… that's a relief._ "Let me do this!" He insisted. "Strength and constitution, I _can_ do this!" Still a few feet away from the infuriatingly still-closed door, he heaved the weighty leg forward for another step. "You can ALL keep going!"

With sudden clarity, Marinette turned from a very confused Adrien and smashed her hand into the blue dragon's chest hard enough to make it throb. The pounding in her hand reverberated through the chamber: a heartbeat, _their_ heartbeats, synchronized as one and amplified through the dragon puzzle's magic. The stone slab slid upward as Kim used his arms to forcibly lift his stiffened leg, now _both_ entirely made of stone, and force it forward, coming to rest directly in the center of the open archway as the stone curse ate its way to his hips, freezing his legs in place.

Kim's face was beet red, beads of sweat streaming down his face, as he struggled to manipulate quickly-stiffening shoulders to raise his cumbersome stone hands over his head. He spat an exhale and grinned, getting into position under the door just as the gray scourge inched its way up his neck. "I got this," he vowed, just before a mask of stone froze his face in its confident smile.

"No!" Adrien cried out and, finally snapping to attention and comprehension of the situation, ran to Kim. The burly dwarf was now a statue of their companion, poised underneath the open door, arms outstretched above his head with palms open. Adrien dropped to his knees to look his friend in the eyes, only to see that the stone eyes were focused intently upward.

"What do we do?!" Nino asked, his voice panicked. The bard moved like he wanted to approach his petrified friend, but kept his hand on the wall, creating an image like he was straining against invisible shackles. "How can we fix it?!"

Max swallowed hard to cover a whimper. "We d-don't." He couldn't help his voice from shaking, even as he understood what Kim was trying to do. He cleared his throat and shook his head, hoping the others wouldn't see his tears. "Kim is using the stone curse to strengthen his form. He intends to hold the door open and allow the rest of us to continue."

"WHAT?!" Alya exclaimed, wildly gesturing with her free hand, careful not to disturb the hand pressed against the wall. "How do we even know that will work?! What if we release the door and _crush_ him?! Nope, I refuse. I'm not doing it!" She leaned into her wall-hand, as if to reaffirm her resolve.

Marinette tried to speak, but her voice came out a whisper. Focusing on the pulsations that still beat through her hand, the summation of the heartbeats of her friends, and tried again to speak. "We have to." She met Adrien's eyes. Her partner, her chaton… he stood alone, the rest of them stuck to a wall. "We have to move forward," she insisted.

"Marinette's right," Adrien said, moving toward the open door. "If we don't keep going, we are _all_ trapped. Besides, it's what Kim wanted. It's what he sacrificed himself for."

"OK fine," said Nino, shaking his head. "But I'm not letting go first. No way. He helped me when I was down on myself… I'll keep fighting, for him, but I won't be the one to crush him if it doesn't work." Nino winced, ashamed to say what was on everyone's mind, but he didn't take it back.

"I'll do it." Max breathed with intention, in and out, steadying himself. The rest of the group looked at him in shock.

"But Max, you can't… you're his best friend! What if…" Marinette trailed off. "We can't let you take that responsibility!"

"It's OK," Max replied, voice steady. "I trust him." Then, with earnestness, he declared: "Fortis is the strongest and the toughest!" Without another moment's hesitation, Max removed his hand from its spot, pressed against the heart of the red dragon.

Just as before, the enormous stone slab dropped, gaining momentum as it descended. Alya gasped as Adrien balled his hands into fists at his sides, willing Kim's plan to work.

* * *

Vault Master scoffed as he watched the sorcerer step away from the wall. "What idiots!" he mused aloud so Hawkmoth could hear. "The dwarf just activated the stone curse AFTER they had solved the puzzle! Kim has made some short-sighted decisions, but this takes carelessness to a whole new level!"

"So the ax-wielder is no more?" Hawkmoth questioned telepathically.

"Not just that!" Vault Master had to focus to suppress his laughter. "The Berserker tried to exit the room, but was trapped by the stone curse _directly_ under the door! The Rogue either continues without _any_ of his fellow adventurers, or the group retreats, smashing their friend to gravel in the process!"

"And what of Ladybug and Chat Noir?" Hawkmoth questioned with anticipation.

"That's the best part! Our would-be heroes now have _two_ unidentified companions: the green pawprint, and a solid red circle adorned with black dots," Vault Master replied. "Now… who or what could _that_ be?"

Hawkmoth's sinister chuckle echoed in Vault Master's head, and he couldn't help but join in. After a moment, Hawkmoth contained himself and, with his typical calculated tone, stated: "When they choose to act, inform me."

As Vault Master grinned at his tome, he felt a slight pang of discomfort. A feeling like something was wrong, that the game wasn't going as planned. _Right, because usually when you trap Kim like this it doesn't ruin the game for him… He comes back and tries again. That's why it's fun: nobody is left out._ He shook the thoughts from his head as the ink on the page began to move.

The icon depicting the sorcerer stepped away from the wall, and the depiction of the door overlying the stone-cursed dwarf immediately indicated "off." As Vault Master waited for the berserker icon to vanish, multiple lines of text scrolled by, one after the other:

 _Race attribute, Dwarf: Stone Form_

 _+50 Constitution_

 _Class attribute, Berserker: Rage_

 _+30 Strength._

 _Fatal blow: 2d12: 15+ success to inflict 'mortal wound' (Player level enemy or below)_

And lastly…

 _Class attribute, Berserker: Warrior's Will (applicable only when 'Enraged')_

 _Negate fatal damage, 1d20: 10 + player level = success_

"No…." Vault Master's eyes bulged as the last line morphed, the "10+ player level" text replaced by "15", just as an apparition of a 20-sided die dropped onto his book. It bounced once and rolled toward the edge of the page before coming to rest:

20\. The triangular face of the die mocked him. He had been bested at his own game.

"NOOOOOOO!" The Vault Master screamed.

* * *

The group (including the two kwamis, now floating fully in view) gathered around Kim, forever entrapped in stone as he held open the giant stone slab of a door, a confident grin permanently etched onto his face. It looked like they were about to have an important discussion, except one of the group members was a haughty-looking statue. It was Marinette who first started to giggle: a soft, light sound like a tinkling bell breaking the silence. Max soon joined in, and soon the whole party was laughing with abandon.

"You realize," Nino said between gasps for air, "that Kim was the _only_ one to see a solution where all but ONE of us could keep going?!"

Max wiped his tearing eyes and nodded. "When we get back to the real world, we will never hear the end of it!"

Alya composed herself and playfully jabbed Marinette in this side. "And can we _please_ talk about the fact that YOU can transform?! I wanna see it! YOU are Tikki's master?! Who knew, right?"

Adrien grinned, meeting Marinette's eyes again. "Yeah," he said with a soft chuckle. "Who knew?"

"Oooonnnn that note," Nino added, eyeing Max with exaggerated suspicion, "if there are any other helpful secrets anybody knows and is hiding, can we disclose them NOW rather than, you know, at the last possible moment?"

The group giggled softly until, unexpectedly, Alya slowly raised a hand into the air. "Actually, uh… I have something." She smiled meekly.

"Oh yeah?" Nino turned to face her with surprise. "What is it?"

"Well," the elven archer said, bending her knee behind her to tap a toe on the ground nervously. "I don't have fancy statistics like Max or anything, but I'm pretty sure those two are Ladybug and Cat Noir."

* * *

 _A/N: I LOVED writing this chapter! I had to put a burner under my butt because I'm pretty sure one of you was going to suggest Kim's idea, now that you're all in puzzle-solving mode! CONGRATS to those who guessed the right answer to the Warriors' puzzle btw, I hope you enjoyed trying to figure it out! Til next time! -Floof  
_


	21. Shots in the Dark

Chaper 21

"WHAT?! Wait, you mean like for real?!" Nino's eyes twinkled with wonder as he stared at Alya, his shock rapidly dissolving to excitement.

"Wha…uhh… but I…" Marinette coughed as her heart burst into an unexpected gallop. _How could Alya just blow her secret like that? And WHY hadn't she come to her first? I mean sure she's all about the latest breaking Ladybug news on her blog, but they were best friends! Had she never heard of privacy? What am I gonna do?_ The blackette took a deep breath to regain her composure, but her rapidly tightening throat producing a sharp squeak with the inhale. She waved her hands in front of her face frantically as a bead of sweat slid down her temple. _This is a disaster!_

"Don't be ridiculous!" Adrien cut in smoothly, ignoring Marinette's miniature panic attack. "I mean, I appreciate the compliment and all, but even with these new powers I'm not nearly as slick as Chat Noir!" Adrien plastered on a confident grin and chuckled lightly. Acting might not be his strong suit, but he thought the performance was pretty convincing. He glanced over to Marinette, who looked like she was in the process of swallowing her tongue. He could hardly believe it. _This whole time… she was right in front of me?_

"Not YOU, Blondie… although I did have my suspicions there for a bit," Alya remarked with a wink. "THEM!"

Following Alya's gaze, all eyes turned to the pair of floating creatures, silently hovering amidst the rest of the group. Marinette stopped stammering and blinked. "Huh?"

"Think about it," the astute elf continued. "We were all brought here because we were in the library together, right? We all know each other from school. But then there're these two, 'Tikki and Plagg,' that nobody seems to know." Plagg favored them all with a toothy grin while Tikki blushed demurely, not accustomed to being the center of attention. Alya's voice took on its conspiratorial tone she reserved for only the juiciest gossip. "They say they're in-game characters, but would in-game characters _know_ that they're in-game characters? That's totally breaking the fourth wall."

"Alya, your deduction has merit," Max stated, thoughtful. "Another consideration is _why_ Vault Master would choose to place additions in this campaign meant to aid us. Ethan never included these class-changing fairies in previous editions. Such a boon would seem incongruous with typical akumatized behavior."

Nino nodded. "So if the fairies didn't come from Vault Master… they must have come from outside, like us!"

"Precisely," Max agreed. "However, as Alya observed, the other denizens of this Vault were all in the school building when the akuma struck. Those of us that materialized near each other were all in the same room. Including those we found in the cell block, all of the students from our library study hall have been accounted for. For the two them to have spawned so closely to us _without_ having been in the library with us, one could deduce that Tikki and Plagg came here another way…. Perhaps to help?"

"Uh… yeah!" Adrien agreed after only a moment's hesitation. "And if they forced their way in, that explains why they didn't spawn right, as full heroes. Since Vault Master didn't include roles for them, their powers can only be used to help the players that are already here! They must have bound to the character classes that most closely resembled the heroes in real life. Cats are stealthy, and I'm the only rogue class. Marinette is a defensive character, and Ladybug vowed to protect the citizens of Paris. It totally makes sense!" Adrien nodded encouragingly toward Marinette.

"It does?" She asked meeting his gaze, a puzzled look on her face. After a beat, she repeated with more confidence: "It does!"

"Well?" Alya beckoned the kwamis. "We're right, right? Admit it, we're right!"

Tikki took in a pleading, expectant look from Marinette's before sighing, defeated. After all of her warnings to Marinette about revealing her identity… "That's right," the red kwami lied. "I'm Ladybug."

"And I am the impetuous, stubborn, love-sick Chat Noir!" Plagg declared.

"Love-sick?!" Adrien remarked, offended, before clamping his mouth shut.

"Oh, yes!" Plagg grinned fiendishly, finally getting revenge for the countless hours he had had to endure of the boy's dreamily blathering on about the perfection of 'his lady.' "Just the other day I prattled on for _over an hour_ about an imaginary perfect date with Ladybug, strolling through the park, down to the details of what ice cream flavors we would eat, ending in a soft, sweet kiss under the stars! I must have talked about her lips for—"

"Oh stop Plagg, you're embarrassing…" Tikki paused for a moment, taking in the rare blush burning Adrien's cheeks. "Me. You're embarrassing me saying things like that! You know that we need to keep our relationship strictly professional. I've told you time and again, romantic feelings would just complicate things. We need to put the safety of Paris first!"

Although she thought she had been helping, Tikki's words felt like ice splintering through Adrien's heart. _She's right, Ladybug had said that,_ He thought. _She didn't think we could be in a relationship with each other because it would cloud our judgment and put Paris at risk. It was the same reason she insisted they couldn't know each other's' identities. Does that mean… he had no chance with Marinette OR Ladybug? Because both of his crushes were the same person, and that person was his superhero partner?_

Marinette stole a glance in Adrien's direction. She had taken all of Chat's flirtatious comments and behaviors to be the typical coquettish nature of the light-hearted feline. Sure, there had been some instances where his feelings for her seemed more sincere, but she had never considered that he might actually be in _love_ with her. He didn't even _know_ her! _Well, that's not true, he did know Marinette, and had never expressed romantic interest in her. Ladybug was just a persona, with all of Marinette's strengths but none of her weaknesses. Had Adrien actually fallen in love with Ladybug? What was he thinking, now that he knew she was actually his boring, stuttering classmate Marinette? Would he be able to see Marinette in Ladybug, and vice versa? Or was this a huge disappointment?_

Marinette tried to read Adrien's expression. His cheeks were tinged slightly with pink, which somehow made him even _more_ handsome. But his eyes looked… hollow. There was something far-off about them, like the look he got when he was remembering his mother. He looked _vulnerable_. Again, Marinette's mind found Chat Noir and Adrien strikingly dissimilar: for all of Chat's spontaneity and forwardness, Adrien was meticulously planned and private. _Were the differences between herself and Ladybug so incompatible?_ The electricity of excitement in Marinette's chest continuously sparked and fizzled out as her mind ran in circles: Adrien loves Ladybug, and you're Ladybug, but Ladybug is not _you,_ so could Adrien love…? The effect was so tumultuous she felt a little nauseated. She had to talk to him… but how could she get him alone?

"Anyway, now that you know our secret," Tikki continued to the group, "you should also know that our powers might not work the same in this world. We really don't know how the transformation affected us."

"Have a little confidence, Tik!" Plagg prodded good-naturedly. "I got Cataclysm to work, and we both know I didn't put forth _that_ much effort!"

"That may be true, but I couldn't help but notice that the transformation did not include Chat Noir's staff. Ladybug's magic yo-yo is the source of her power. If it doesn't appear, her fighting style will be completely altered!" the little bug-god pointed out.

Alya was entirely unfazed by this revelation. "Listen guys," she addressed the kwamis. "I know you guys might not realize this, but not _everyone_ is a natural-born super hero. No offense to Marinette, but finesse and acrobatics and whipping around a magic yo-yo might be a tall order for her anyway. I'm kinda hoping she gets a weapon she can't tangle herself up in!"

Marinette shrugged. Alya wasn't wrong... she _had_ tangled herself up in her yo-yo at first!

"Actually, if memory serves," Max interjected, "it is likely she will not transform with a weapon at all."

Adrien's eyebrows lifted slightly in understanding. "Max is right," the blonde explained. "I had to find all of my weapons. The daggers I use as Chat Noir disappear with the transformation, but I found them on a weapon rack. Just like the rapier."

"Same with my bow," Alya noted.

"And my… what is this thing called again?" asked Nino.

Max shook his head. "Without knowing what Marinette's transformation will be, it's impossible to deduce strategy moving forward. Presented with a challenge, we don't know if Marinette's defensive capabilities would be of greater or less benefit than her new class's abilities." He paused. "Apologies Ladybug… I do not mean to imply that your contribution would not be significant, but you must understand that a group like ours could easily be wiped out if we exchange our tank for, say, another agility-based DPS, which given Ladybug's fighting style is a distinct possibility."

Both Marinette and Tikki nodded in response.

"But there's only _ONE_ biscuit left!" Plagg whined. "If she transforms she'll have to eat, and then it won't matter because we'll be out of precious, delicious food!"

"So… we get more food? Then have Marinette transform ASAP?" offered Nino.

"But where?" Adrien asked. "All this time we've been exploring, we still haven't come across any food."

"I wouldn't say that…" the gnome said cryptically, looking pointedly into the dark, curving stairwell revealed by the ascended stone slab. "I do hope neither of you is vegetarian."

* * *

Max led the way up the pitch black stairwell, again holding a glowing ball of flame aloft to light the way. The wooden plank stairs that wound in a steep, tight circle up the cylindrical tower were too narrow to allow them to comfortably walk shoulder to shoulder, forcing the group to walk single file. The outside edge of the stairs fit snugly to the windowless stone wall, which Marinette ran a hand along to keep her bearings, her fingers bumping along the cool, damp edges of timeworn stone. The inside edge of the stairs, which unfortunately lacked a railing of any sort, wound around a seemingly endlessly deep chasm of pure blackness. Marinette could hear an intermittent, distant _plink_ of water droplets striking a puddle echo up from somewhere down below. While she was not typically afraid of heights, she found herself hugging the musty-smelling wall rather closely.

Nino and Adrien followed close behind, the latter longing for the Chat Noir's night vision as he tried to navigate the darkness in the meager light provided by Max's too-distant light source. Alya, gifted with refined senses from her elvish class bonus, pulled up the rear, not having much difficulty despite being almost entirely encased in shadow.

Plagg, effortlessly flying straight up the middle of the chasm next to Adrien, barraged the boy with questions. "What did he mean vegetarian? Do you think he has _cheese_? But then don't some vegetarians eat cheese? Ovo-vegetarian? No wait that's eggs."

"Plagg please," Adrien tried to keep his voice steady. "I'm trying to concentrate!"

"What's to concentrate? Left foot, right foot. You've never climbed steps before? This is important. Fromage-o… no, Lacto! That's it! So if I _only_ ate cheese I would be a…"

"I think he was implying something… a little meatier?" Alya intervened, grinning in the darkness and earning a soft chuckle from Tikki.

"Like an aged Gouda?!" came the excited reply.

"Not quite…" the archer said, slowing to a stop as the rest of the group in front of her paused.

"Hey Max, what's going on up there?!" Adrien called, his head angled almost straight up as Max had rounded the chamber again and was essentially directly above him.

"SSHHH!" the sorcerer hissed, sending the glowing orb slightly farther up to reveal a large mass sticking out from the wall, obstructing their path.

"What is _that?!"_ Alya asked. It looked like a a big pile of sticks and dirt and mud. _How did all that junk even get up here?_

"Oh no…" Marinette shuddered in recognition.

"It's a rat's nest," Max stated, then fell silent. As they concentrated, the group could hear faint sounds of scratching and hissing coming from above. "And it's occupied."

"Oh heck no!" Alya whispered with surprising intensity, drawing the attention of both Adrien and Nino. "Not rats, nope! Especially big dungeon rats, running around my feet while I'm trapped on this tiny staircase. Burn it with fire, Max!" Nino vigorously nodded in agreement, repulsed by the image Alya had conjured of giant rats tangling themselves around his feet.

"He can't, the stairs are made of wood. They'll burn!" Marinette pointed out.

"Then we go back?" the elven archer asked hopefully.

"If it matters," Max said, retrieving the fireball to illuminate the group again, "there are rats' nests all over this dungeon. Marinette and I have already destroyed one. I find it highly likely that we will encounter similar nests regardless of the path we take."

"Ugh, fine…" Alya groaned, making a show of retrieving an arrow from her quiver.

"Ok, but… how exactly are we supposed to fight here?" Adrien asked. He had his rapier at the ready but could not fall into a proper stance in the narrow, tightly-curving space. Furthermore, if he swung the weapon, he would probably hit Nino who stood only a few feet in front of him.

Max, although he led the group, wouldn't dare light the mess of twigs on fire, knowing it would quickly ignite the wooden steps that it sat upon. Thus, although he was loathe to admit it, his offensive capabilities were essentially nil. Marinette had to take a cautious step away from the wall to summon her shield, but felt similarly helpless. The group exchanged looks in the darkness.

"I could jump across a few times to get above the nest and fire downward?" Alya offered. "The shots would be pretty easy, I think, and the distance across the middle isn't that far. When I hit the nest they'll probably all run but maybe I could pick them off?"

"If you guys get behind me, I could try to fend off any that get this far," Adrien said.

"There are probably dozens in a nest that large," noted Max, absently twirling his moustache. "And rats on higher levels often carry plague. Even one bite to improperly armored flesh could be disastrous."

"Then I'll go up front," Marinette stated. "I'm the one with the armor." She tapped her heavy iron greaves to make her point.

"No way," argued Adrien. "Rats can climb. They can swarm up walls, up _people_. Not all of you is covered, it's not worth the risk. I nee- We need you, Marinette."

She blinked. _Had she imagined it, or had he started to say…_

"What about a Lullaby!" Nino exclaimed a little too loudly, causing the others to wince and glance expectantly in the direction of the nest.

"You're… going to sing to the rats?" Alya asked hesitantly. "But didn't Max say your songs can only help our group, not curse enemies?"

"A good night's rest _is_ helpful!" Nino countered. "It's about perspective, right? Maybe I'm going to side with the poor rat parents, trying desperately to doze comfortably in their tiny house with dozens of babies running about refusing to nap?" Nino could think of a few times he was hanging at Alya's that he would have _definitely_ benefited from getting her younger siblings to sleep a little early.

Max considered the suggestion. In the past, he had certainly utilized non-traditional means of escaping tough spots. He recalled instances where Kim had bribed a troll to let them pass a bridge despite not being able to solve his riddle, and another where Max had charmed a fire-breathing drake into allowing them to live when they accidentally disturbed her nest by pretending to be a lost baby drake. His fire capabilities and horn-like hair had served him well that day! _Until she tried to feed me._ He shuddered at the recollection.

Alya actually smiled at Nino's retort. "As someone who's repeatedly struggled to get munchkins to quiet down… I can definitely see how a Lullaby could be for the greater good." They shared a knowing look that went unnoticed by the others. "What if we go all out? Max, make sure we can see what we're doing. I'll shoot from above. Marinette and Adrien stick together and try to fend off anything that runs your way, and Nino… try to keep the rat family asleep!"

Carefully stepping around Nino to stand next to Marinette, Adrien then flattened himself against the wall to allow Max to pass farther away from the threat above. The repositioning was extremely awkward. "Why do I feel like we're about to attack a dragon with a shoe?" the blonde asked.

"Because," Max replied, "when you don't have a better plan, you have to use what you've got."

* * *

 _A/N: Hey guys! I'm not dead, just slow! I never thought to mention until the question was asked: the events of this story take place between seasons 1 and 2, so all the developments of season 2 have not yet occurred! I started writing before the second season dropped so including the new info doesn't make sense in some spots. Anyways, glad you all enjoyed the last chapter and Kim's bravery as much as I did, I love the feedback, it encourages me to sit my butt down and write :) Lot's of talk in this chapter as our heroes try to sort stuff out, but we've got another battle ahead of us, so get ready!  
_


	22. No Masks

VV Chapter 22

With the others in position, Alya deftly leapt across the bottomless chasm, landing near the spot that Max had just vacated. Although Marinette's breath caught in her throat as her best friend catapulted herself off the stairs, the elven version of Alya did not seem to have any difficulty crossing the distance safely.

"What a show off," came Nino's voice from a few steps behind the blackette. "She could have just _walked_ up there _._ "

"I can hear you, you know!" Alya called down to them. "For your information, this whole super-agility thing is new to me. I just wanted a practice jump!"

"How is that a practice jump? If you didn't make it, you still would have fallen," Adrien pointed out, glancing over the edge of the stairs. The proximity of him, only a few inches behind her, made Marinette flush again.

"Look, it makes sense in my head!" Alya retorted without hesitation. "Anyway I'm heading up, so be ready!" With that, she leapt again, up and across, coming to rest two turns above the rest of the group, slightly offset so she could see both them and the nest. While it didn't leave much distance between herself and the nest, her vantage did allow her to keep an eye on the others. She flashed them a thumbs up. _Ready._

Marinette summoned a larger, more protective version of her round shield and held it in front of herself, crouching and putting her weight in her heels as if preparing to absorb the impact of a blow. Adrien stepped forward with his right foot, his booted leg pressing against her exposed thigh in the limited space, and extended his rapier over and around her right shoulder. His height advantage over her crouched form allowed him to take a nearly-normal ready position, although the knowledge that he would be unable to adequately defend Marinette's left side weighed heavily on him. He considered asking her to lend him the shield, but instantly saw the flaw: the added weight would overburden his character, slowing him. Without his speed, he would be at a severe disadvantage, compromising them both. Still, he hated that she was the one in front. How could he protect her from _here_?

Max channeled his floating fire orb to grow more massive before, splaying his fingers, he caused the ball to burst into dozens of tiny versions of the same. The flickering lights, each no bigger than a match's flame, slowly spread out to fill the space, carefully avoiding the wooden steps. The effect was as if the space had been filled with dozens of tiny, flickering stars, creating a dull but permeating glow. Maintaining this many separate flames took considerable effort from the small sorcerer, but he gave the rest of the group a reassuring nod. _Ready._

Marinette glanced up at Adrien just as Nino began to pluck out a serene melody. His determined eyes reflected the twinkling flames, and again Marinette felt swept away, as if seeing him for the first time and falling instantly in love. The sensation was strikingly similar to that long ago thunder crash in the rain. Her whole world somehow shifted so that her feet were no longer under her. He was Chat, and he was Adrien, but in that moment she saw him as something more than the sum of the two. Brave like Chat, but with Adrien's determination. _A hero._ Her nerves calmed and she exhaled, unaware that she had been holding her breath.

Nino began to sing:

" _The sky grows dark, the world is still, songbirds relent to crickets' trill._

 _With stars above, fireflies below, sparkling in the moonlight's glow._

 _An owl calls, the wind replies, and sings for you this lullaby."_

Alya was again taken in by Nino's smooth, steady voice as he vocalized the lyrics to the lullaby he played. She did not recognize the song, but there was something familiar and comforting about it. It reminded her of nights spent camping with her dad when she was younger: restful evenings after long days spent fishing and kayaking in the sun, or tracking animals through the woods. When the sun began to set, they would build a fire and, as her mom began to cook, she would help him set up the tents. She smiled softly at the memory.

" _Now close your eyes but listen true, as nighttime plays her song for you._

 _Her melody so soft, serene, promising of pleasant dreams._

 _The dance you know, a gentle sway, to ferry all your cares away._

 _Rest now, dear one, go to sleep, and may your rest be sound and deep._

 _For the sky grows dark, the world is still…"_

As Nino began the verse again, Alya was imaging the whole family, tummies full of s'mores, snuggling into warm sleeping bags. _The sky is dark… sparkling stars…_ With a start, the archer shook herself awake. Chiding herself for nearly falling asleep, she pointedly ignored the tranquil music emanating from the bard and refocused on the skittering and chattering arising from the massive nest below. Notching an arrow and pulling the string taught toward her jaw, arms steady as she aimed at the muddy bramble, she took one final assessment of the anticipatory group below before releasing her first shot.

As the arrow met its target, it dislodged a chunk of the haphazard nest, causing it to crumble away. Marinette stared at the writhing mass of oily fur revealed by the missing section in horror for only a brief moment before the thing _exploded_. Wriggling black forms poured in every direction, climbing over each other, up the walls… some tumbling off the stairs, over the edge into nothingness, and a whole horde of the things careening along the steps right toward her. Rats continued to fall away from the main jumble as the clawed their way over, under, and through the mob. _Ugh, and the smell! Like a wet dog that's been dead for days… plus vomit that had been left in the sun._ Marinette fought against the urge to vomit herself but held firm.

From Alya's aerial view, the nest looked like an ink-bomb had exploded, releasing pure blackness in all directions. She didn't investigate on whether or not any of the creatures remained asleep in the nest, instead immediately releasing a flurry of arrows into the beasts that swarmed upward toward her. Although she fired half a dozen arrows or more in the span of a few seconds, she realized her efforts would not be enough to stop the fast-approaching vermin. Loathe to turn her back on the creatures, she went with her only other option: she jumped _down_.

Just before the swarm reached her, Marinette was spun off-balance by a strong arm encircling her waist. Before she knew what was happening, she was suddenly facing down the stairs, her shield-bearing arm waving in the air above the void for balance as she regained her bearings. Recovering quickly, she turned to face the oncoming menace again, just in time to see Adrien, now standing protectively between her and the threat, slice through the first wall. The mass recoiled as if it was a single living monster, its front line members retreating in fear and crashing frenziedly into the throng still advancing from behind.

"Marinette run! There are too many!" he called over his shoulder, continuing the fluid motion of his first strike to jab two of the rats that had tried to slip around his feet. She was about to protest when Alya, just a blur of motion, fell right past her through the open center of the spiral stairs. Marinette gasped and lurched sideways expecting to watch her best friend plummet to her death, but was relieved to see the elf land hard (notably lacking her usually near-weightless grace) two turns of the stairs below. Without missing a beat, the archer stood and resumed her volley, now firing upward at the creatures that approached Adrien and Marinette.

"RUN!" Adrien called again, louder now and directed at the rest of the group, his voice edged with desperation. He readied himself as the wall of mice pressed forward again.

"I'm not leaving you!" Marinette declared. Facing her back to him and linking her right arm with his trailing left, she threw her all her weight into a spin. Back to back, the two of them spun, switching positions and allowing Marinette to bash the oncoming wave with her shield like a battering ram, knocking them off the stairs and into the darkness.

Adrien was relieved to see at least the rest of the group was retreating, moving as fast as they dared back down the perilous, twisting steps. Marinette's vantage was not as reassuring; a second group of mice, finally waking from their magically-induced sleep, was clawing their way out of the nest. Smaller in number than the first, this second group was also less frenetic, their movements more purposeful. While some retreated up the stairs, some of the larger specimens scampered downward, shrieking menacingly.

"More coming!" she informed her partner. "We can't fight like this!"

"Then we gotta move!" he agreed.

She turned to face him, prepared to run, but instead came face-to-face with him, a familiar mischievous glint twinkling in his eye.

"Does your shield come off?" he asked her hurriedly, sheathing his rapier. "I have an idea."

Without wasting time by asking for an explanation, she slipped her arm out of the straps and handed it to him. Setting the shield on the stairs between them and holding it in place with a foot, he extended a hand to her. "You trust me, right Bugaboo?" he asked.

Taking his hand and allowing him to guide her to sit across his lap princess-style, her feet extending over the chasm as he sat atop the shield, she replied, "Always… although sometimes it's against my better judgment!"

"Then hold on… because this is going to be one heck of a sleigh ride!" He gripped the leather straps like sled handles as she wrapped her arms around his chest. "Me-ow…" her purred teasingly as she held him tight, seemingly oblivious to the group of beady-eyed, shrieking rats that was nearly upon them.

"Oh for the love of…. GO Chat!"

"Right!" In an instant, his countenance was again resolute, all traces of joviality vanished, as he lifted his bracing foot and the shield tipped forward, sending them sliding precariously downward with rapidly increasing speed.

Adrien's arm scraped painfully along the rock wall as he used the handles and his bodyweight to keep the careening makeshift sled snug to the wall. Although the trip to the bottom took less than a minute, every second was excruciating as the wall peeled layer after layer of skin away. Bailing from the shield at such a high rate of speed was too dangerous, and he refused to allow himself to inch away from the wall and risk sliding off into the bottomless drop, so he endured the agony, focusing on the feel of Marinette's arms holding him close.

The metal shield sent sparks into the air as it came skidding across the stone floor of the alcove where Kim still stood in stone. The waiting group leapt out of the way as the remaining pair came tearing into the room. Once clear of the stairs, Adrien let go of the handles, wrapping his arms protectively around Marinette and rolling, just as he had years ago when his mother had taken him sledding in Aspen and a collision with a tree was imminent. Considerably more excruciating on stone than in snow, he nonetheless managed to get them both free of the shield before it crashed with a loud clang into a wall, vanishing a moment later.

Adrien moaned, releasing Marinette to clutch his bloody and now probably broken right arm. Marinette, herself somewhat battered and bruised from the experience, turned to him immediately, ready to heal him, but he shook his head. "They're coming!" he said with rather impressive tenacity, forcing himself to stand but breaking out into a sweat while doing so. While his eyes still shone with determination and ferocity, Marinette noticed he was starting to look pale.

Nino, Alya, and Max stood in line between the open door and the injured heroes, the latter calling twin pillars of flames to each hand.

"Don't worry, we got this," Alya growled. Nino, glancing over to Max and chuckling, belted his best Alicia Keys: "These rats are on fi-re!"

Nodding, Marinette helped Adrien under the propped stone slab, into the safety of the room beyond.

* * *

After a full two minutes of accessing her healing arts by openly (though silently) acknowledging her adoration of and gratitude toward her fearless partner, Adrien finally sighed in relief. His color had returned, and he was no longer shaking under her touch. "Are you OK?" she asked tentatively.

"I'm fine…. Thanks to you, _Ladybug._ " He placed emphasis on the last word, almost accusatory but not mean-spirited. This brief moment of privacy might be his only chance to talk to her openly about the sudden revelation of identities and what it might mean for them, and he wasn't going to miss the opportunity.

She paused, partly because she was taken off-guard by the sudden change in topic but mostly because she was completely unprepared for this conversation. "I'm sorry," she began quietly. "I should have told you before, when I learned you were… Seriously though? The whole time, it's been _you?_ Of all the boys in Paris… If I had known!" Marinette spoke more to herself than to him, not meeting his eyes.

"Does it… mess things up between us?" he asked hesitantly.

She blinked. "Chat, I—" she flushed, still not used to addressing Adrien as Chat. "I understand if you feel differently now that you know it's just me under the mask. But you don't have to treat me differently."

"Just you?" he asked, confused. "What do you mean? Did I… treat you badly before?"

"No no no, not at all, of course not! It's just… Chat and Ladybug have a certain… relationship. Not a _relationship_ relationship, but the things you say and do…" her cheeks burned so hot she had to fight the urge to touch them to ensure they wouldn't scorch her fingertips. "I mean, I don't want you to think that I take any of it _seriously._ "

His expression fell visibly. After a moment's hesitation, he spoke in a quiet but adamant tone. "Marinette, I've never _lied_ to you."

"Ugh! That didn't come out right!" Marinette palmed her face, shaking her head, her squeezed-shut eyes visible to him through splayed fingers. Her speech was becoming somewhat pressured as, life-threatening crisis averted, her insecurities began to creep out. "I didn't mean to imply you were being dishonest. It's just me and Chat, and me and you…" she made frantic pointing gestures toward each of them in turn, herself and him, then herself and him again. "It's different."

Adrien waiting patiently, eyeing her.

"It's just…." She breathed a calm, steadying breath, straightening her posture and finally meeting his eyes. _Just get it out._ Her lip only quivered a little as she said, "You always make these flirtatious comments toward Ladybug. Of course I never reacted because I didn't know it was _you_. Although that's probably for the best, because I'm pretty sure my heart would have exploded or I'd turn into a blushing, giggling idiot every time you said something remotely suggestive, which is bound to interfere with akuma fighting because, let's face it, your timing is not always the best."

He blinked, wide-eyed, mimicking her expression of surprise and confusion from before. "Wait… your heart?"

"But that's just innocent flirtation with a super hero," she continued, not hearing him. "At first I thought that Chat was just a flirt, but then sometimes I think…. Anyway I don't expect you to actually treat _Marinette_ the same way. I mean, I'm no Ladybug! Well, I _am_ , technically, but I'm not the perfect girl Chat seems so smitten by."

"But… you _are_ Ladybug," he pointed out.

She shook her head, breaking eye contact again. "In truth, I'm not much like her at all! I trip over my own feet, I'm late to everything, I can't even form a coherent sentence around my massive crush, because there's smooth, and then there's me, and apparently actual words are too much to ask of me!" Her words came out faster and faster as she rambled on, now seemingly unaware that she was actually talking out loud. "Of course Paris, and Chat, and _everyone_ loves Ladybug, but it's a lie. Just a mask. The truth is, I'm _not_ Ladybug. I'm just me. Plain, boring, stammering Marinette!" She finally paused for a breath, slowly raising her eyes to meet his. "Does any of this even make sense?"

He smiled softly, absorbing the 'massive crush' mention. _Is that why she stammers around me? Not because she feels awkward around someone she doesn't feel close to, but because…?_ He felt something stir inside him. "Believe it or not, I know a little something about not being the person everyone expects you to be."

She couldn't help but smile in return, although her expression seemed somewhat forlorn. "Right…. I guess if anyone understands, it would be you." _Except even your non-super alter-ego is perfect_ , she added in her head.

"Not because of Chat Noir," he clarified. "Because of _Adrien_."

Her eyebrows pinched together in puzzlement.

"Adrien Agreste, model son and citizen!" he said, a trace of bitterness seeping into his tone. "All the smiling pictures, the myriad of extra-curricular activities, the charity events and celebrity appearances, even being friends with Chloe. My whole _life_ is one big charade. _None_ of it is actually me. Everything about 'Adrien Agreste' is planned and scripted by my father. Paris swoons over _Adrien_ , but nobody actually knows me…. Or even cares to."

She paused, staring at him. The boy she saw in front of her exhibited an aspect of himself that she had never seen in Chat _or_ Adrien. She knew that Adrien would get lonely from time to time, being an only child with a rigid, demanding father as his only family, but she never appreciated how desperately he longed for a different life until she saw the need in his eyes just then. Just like earlier in battle, when he was fiercely protective but calculating and level-headed , he was displaying a new, intensely passionate side of himself that she had never identified in either of them. She had the sudden overwhelming urge to slip her arms around his waist, lie her head against his chest, and just hold him… not the idea of Adrien Agreste, but the real, vulnerable, sweet boy standing right in front of her.

Instead, she offered a small but heartfelt smile. "I see what you did there, clever."

His expression softened as he regarded her. "Hmm?"

She flinched, freckled nose crinkling, unable to believe she was going to say what she was about to say. " _Model_ son? _Paws_ -itively _hiss_ -terical." She couldn't help but roll her eyes, betraying her inner Ladybug.

He coughed in surprise, then gasped as laughter overtook him. " _THAT_ little gem was even more surprising than learning your real identity!" he declared. He paused as he saw her expression wilt again. "Marinette?"

"Sorry," she said with a sad smile. "I just feel like… like everything will be different now."

"Listen, Marinette…. Ladybug," he said sincerely, placing his hands on her shoulders and forcing her to meet his eyes. "I know I haven't been completely open with my feelings…. I wanted to be, I tried to tell you so many times."

"Chat, don't…." Marinette didn't think her heart could take what she knew was coming. _Chat really did have feelings for Ladybug. Chat, no, Adrien was in love with Ladybug…. Adrien who barely noticed Marinette's existence until recently._ Her eyes fell to the ground as she shifted uncomfortably.

"I need to say it," he insisted, using his index finger to lift her chin and meet his eyes again. "Í knew I loved Ladybug the first day we met. Every day since, I've loved her more and more."

She held his stare, although her eyes began to glisten with tears.

"But the girl I was getting to know, the girl I loved, was _you_ , not some Ladybug façade. The Ladybug I know has flaws, Marinette. She's clever and brave, but can also be hot-tempered and stubborn. She is goal-directed and determined, but takes herself too seriously at times. Seeing you here, like this… you're all those good qualities, while still being light-hearted, compassionate, considerate…" He paused, letting his words sink in. "You are amazing, Marinette."

She trembled slightly as he leaned closer, his words now merely a whisper. "The girl I kissed in the Beholder's chamber… that was _you_ Marinette, not Ladybug. The girl I want to kiss now…."

Her eyelids fluttered shut as she obligingly tipped her chin upward at the guidance of his finger. For a moment, the world seemed to stop turning. Besides the gentle pressure under her chin, she felt nothing: her feet seemed to float, she was neither hot nor cold, she didn't even have a sense of which direction was up. Then, a burst of sensations as his lips met hers. The contact was soft but not tentative, a gentle caress of his lips to hers, eager but tender. Electricity shot through her as the hand guiding her chin traced the smooth curve of her jaw, burying itself in the loose hair at the nape of her neck to cradle her head. Without her consciously commanding them to do so, her hands found his bare stomach, her fingers flitting over the defined muscles there before snaking around his back in an embrace. She felt him shudder under her touch, his fingers reflexively curling in her hair to lightly massage her scalp as if to gently utilize claws he did not currently wield. Her whole body felt like it was engulfed in a very pleasant fire, burning without pain.

"Squeeeee!" Alya's quiet but high-pitched squeak broke into their moment, revealing that they were no longer alone. Adrien sighed softly as he broke the kiss, but held her for a long second, unwilling to end the moment.

Nino cleared his throat uncomfortably, embarrassed to have barged in on such a private moment, while Max stared purposefully at the wall.

Plagg, who along with Tikki had been quietly observing the whole interaction, regarded the plump, charred rats skewered with arrows to resemble disgusting shish-kabobs that the newcomers held. "WAIT," he said, his face taking on a decidedly green hue. "You do _not_ expect me to eat THAT!"

* * *

 _A/N: Sorry again for the delay, I just couldn't find a good place to break the chapter! SO it's 1:00 am, and I present to you a very long chapter 22 :) Please keep the feedback coming! What you all like/predict/comment on affects the story more than you probably think. For those of you who are wondering, the song Nino sings in this chapter is original... he'll mention it later. Also "rat swarm" sucks. -Floof_


	23. Plan (L)B

VV Chapter 23

Adrien felt like he was going to explode. He wanted to leap into the air and scream for joy, to drop to the cold stone floor and roll around giggling maniacally, to run around in circles until this volatile energy that crackled within him was expunged.

 _He had kissed Ladybug! …He had kissed MARINETTE! He had finally told her he was in love with her, and she had KISSED him!_

He felt like he was vibrating, buzzing. Although he was acutely aware that the smile on his face was the "wrong" one, the one Vincent called "childish," he was unable to dial it back to his perfect, practiced grin. It had been years since he had felt such absolute, all-encompassing _joy_. So he smiled.

Marinette stared, taking a mental snapshot of the blond boy, feeling as if she was seeing him in all his true perfection for the first time. If she'd had her phone, she would unabashedly pull it out and snap a photo of him. He was practically glowing… and it was _because of her_. She wanted to live in this moment forever. She sighed dreamily, finally releasing the breath she had been holding since the kiss. She could taste him on the hot air as it passed her lips, causing her heart to pound harder. _Can teenagers die of heart attacks?_ She wondered. _'Cause if so… it was absolutely worth it._

"I thought cats were supposed to like eating mice!" Alya taunted, waggling one of the makeshift skewers in Plagg's direction.

"Ugh, gross!" the kwami replied, pinching his nose and retreating back toward Adrien's shoulder. Seeing the boy's love-struck expression as he approached, he stuttered to a stop mid-air. "Ugh, gross!" he repeated, more emphatically.

Tikki giggled, the mirthful sound like softly chiming bells. "I think it's cute!"

" _I_ think it's about time!" Nino offered, shooting a wink in Alya's direction. She grinned, nodding in agreement.

"I agree with Plagg," Max mumbled. Nino and Alya regarded him with surprise. "I mean about the rats!" the sorcerer amended after only the briefest hesitation. "These are _plague_ rats, remember? Eating them might not be wise."

"Can you catch plague by eating a plague rat?" Tikki asked.

"Uncertain," Max replied. "Nobody has suggested _eating_ them in one of my campaigns before. If they had, I would certainly consider contracting the disease a possibility. However, the specific probability of such an event would ultimately fall to the judgement of the Vault Master." His voice had an edge of annoyance that finally drew Adrien's attention.

"Is everything OK, Max? You seem… upset." In truth, Adrien had an idea of what had soured the gnome's mood. He hadn't missed the stolen glances at his beautiful, scantily clad partner Max had cast since they had been traveling together.

Max shook his head, his expression softening a bit. "I apologize, I just feel that a…. _romantic_ relationship between you two may compromise our ability to fight effectively as a team. I fear that your prudence regarding the best action for the group as a whole may be outweighed by your concern for each other, and we simply cannot afford to lose any more members."

Adrien winced at the reminder of Kim's sacrifice, feeling guilty that he was blissfully happy when their friend had so recently given his life for their benefit.

"The fact that they finally fessed up to their feelings doesn't _change_ anything," Alya pointed out. "Marinette has been head over heels for Adrien for-EVER. She-" Alya recognized the familiar flush that bloomed on her friend's cheeks. "Sorry girl, but he _knows_ now!" she interjected dismissively. "Anyway, all I'm saying is she would have him first in her thoughts regardless. Trust me, that boy is like her _raison d'etre_."

Marinette and Adrien exchanged a glance, their thoughts so identical they could read it in each others' eyes. _Max is right: I would never let anything happen to you. No matter what the cost._ The heroes knew there was danger in that statement as sure as they knew it was true. Ladybug had warned Chat of this risk in the past. A sharp sliver a fear pierced their perfect world, embedding itself like a shard of glass. They could each see it glint in the others' eyes. The fear of losing each other. The fear of causing harm to the others in their selfish refusal to sacrifice the other. But still, they knew it was true. _No matter what the cost._

An awkward silence settled, Max pretending to meditate while Adrien and Marinette tried not to stare at each other for fear of making the others uncomfortable. They mostly failed.

Several minutes later, Alya scrunched her nose at Nino indicating she'd had enough and flicked her eyes toward the door.

"Right then!" Nino said, taking the cue. "Shall we, uh, soldier forth then?"

* * *

Marinette tried to ignore the stains of Adrien's blood on the wall as they ascended the spiraling staircase again, Max lighting the way with a flame hovering a safe distance from the wooden planks that formed the stairs. A short distance after they picked their way past the remnants of the rats' nest, the group came upon a narrow doorway opening into a hallway lit with torchlight. Although the staircase continued upward, the wooden planks were appearing increasingly rotted, as if care was taken to preserve only the lower levels in the dark, dank space. The _plink, plink_ of invisible water droplets was barely audible now, as if being swallowed by the darkness above.

Marinette shivered with a sudden chill as she gazed upward into the blackness, and Adrien's arms were around her instantly. His bare skin radiated heat into hers, and she leaned slightly into the embrace.

"Did it just get colder in here?" the blond fencer asked, also noticing the chill. He delighting in the opportunity to hold her again, and resisted the urge to nuzzle her hair. _Focus_ , he chided himself. He had been looking forward to this moment for so long he was finding it difficult to concentrate on anything else besides _her_.

Alya was just about to weigh in when an unmistakable frosty waft descended on them, then abated as quickly as it had come. The room was growing colder still.

"I think it's coming from above," she noted, teeth chattering. Heightened senses were _usually_ a good thing, but elves were not built for extreme temperatures.

"And it's coming closer," Nino added.

Another gust blew by, the flurries of ice crystals it carried sparkling like diamonds before melting away in Max's magical flame, which danced slightly in the breeze.

"Well whatever it is, it's probably bigger than a rat and we all know how well _that_ went. I vote hallway!" Alya declared, inclining her head toward the open door.

Max nodded in agreement. "I can think of only two explanations for sudden drafts: breath, from something very large, or wings. I don't believe we're prepared for either."

Taking one last moment to enjoy the security of Adrien's arms, Marinette took a steadying breath. "Hallway it is then," she said, stepping into the dimly lit corridor.

While the entryway was generously lit, the uneven torchlight spattering the hall made the shadows beyond behave like living creatures, advancing and retreating, shifting and moving. As the group filed in behind the cleric, she brought up her shield, sensing danger in the place.

"There's…. something not right here," Alya said from Marinette's left, squinting her keen eyes to maximize her enhanced elvish vision. "Something about the lights."

Max allowed his fireball to evaporate, conserving energy and allowing the group to better assess the room in its natural state. "You're right… " the gnome mage trailed off. Fire was his specialty, and there was something disconcerting about these torches. It was almost as if the flames were imitation lights. They _looked_ real, and Max could feel the heat they produced, but they were too dim for their size.

Adrien's trap detection senses were barraging him with warnings. The hair on his arms stood on end as he scanned the room for any hidden doors, switches, or trap mechanisms. He eyed the sconces closely, but could detect nothing sinister about the ornamental iron adornments. They were of different sizes, and set at irregular intervals, meant more for function than fashion in what appeared to be a tunnel. None of them stood out as odd, but still he couldn't shake the feeling that something was poised there, waiting for them to make some innocent-seeming move that would lead to their annihilation. "Nobody move," he warned the others, wishing he had more to offer.

As Alya's vision adjusted, she could make out objects in the darkness. Several piles of rags… _clothing?..._ discarded in heaps. An abandoned sword lying next to a few loose pieces of armor. There, a leather satchel peeking out from underneath an ornate cloak.

Then she saw it. A tiny mouse popped out of a hole in the wall, making a beeline for the cloak. It was only a few steps away from the wall when, in a flicker of torchlight, it was engulfed in shadows and was _gone_. The form of the mouse, cast into shade, had just _melted_ into the ground. She gasped.

Reorienting herself, it became clear. "It's not the torches!" the archer announced, her voice hissing as she tried to whisper with too much force. "It's the shadows! The shadows are… are a _thing!"_

Now they could all see it. There was nothing wrong with the torches; the glow they emanated was being consumed by too-dark shadows. The flames did not flicker strangely, the shadows were advancing on them, driven away at the last possible moment only to press forward again.

"I saw it just eat a mouse!" she continued, shifting her weight from foot to foot, suddenly uncomfortable touching the ground. "And there's clothing and weapons out there. I think if we touch it, it will eat us too!"

"Good eye, Alya," Max complimented. He had read of shadow demons, and Alya was very likely correct.

Nino eyed the shadows warily. "How are we supposed to fight it without touching it? 'Shadows, shadows, go away, come again another day?'"

His tone was brazenly prideful as Max declared, "I got this one… Lucky I chose to be a fire mage!" while gathering his power into a steadily-expanding ball of flame. As his conjured 'sun' grew, the shadows were pressed against the walls and toward the back of the hall, the darkness condensing into an inky black ooze.

Beads of sweat formed at Marinette's hairline, one tickling the back of her neck as it fell. Even though it produced no smoke (as he wasn't actually burning anything), Max's fire was _hot_ , even from where she was standing. She took a step backward and bumped right into Adrien, who perked an eyebrow at her. Although they were retreating, the shadows had not vanished: they continually pressed as near as they dared to Max's glowing sun, and Adrien doubted the group would be able to stay close enough to it to guarantee safety without being seriously burned.

Marinette had had the same thought, until a drop of sweat snaked down Adrien's toned torso, drawing her eyes downward as she watched its descent. By the time it pooled on the waistband of his leather pants, she was thinking something else entirely.

He ran a hand through his hair, futilely attempting to tame it in the damp heat. "Sorry I'm gross, even shirtless, leather doesn't breathe well," he whispered, feeling self-conscious. He liked being clean. "I'll bathe as _soon_ as I get the chance, promise. Don't hold this against me!"

"Hold… what… against you?" she replied in a throaty whisper, finally looking up at him from under dark lashes. The look in her deep blue eyes made his heart leap to his throat. A wave of desire overwhelmed him, dragging his thoughts away from the dangers that lie ahead to something more carnal. He wanted her, _needed_ her, desperately, in that moment. Then she blinked and it was gone. Her cheeks flushed and she broke his gaze, but his heart still thumped achingly in his chest. Heat did funny things to a man in love.

"Max, it's not working!" Alya said. The tiny powerhouse was beginning to tremble from the effort of channeling such a large spell, and it didn't appear that the shadows would retreat further. "It's too hot!" she added. "Save your power!"

With a sigh, Max dropped his outstretched hands. The fiery orb curled into spiraling tendrils before disappearing. The condensed shadows _poured_ away from the walls, splashing up into the air as they reclaimed their domain before settling into the slightly-off pattern that mimicked natural torchlight. He shook his head. "Sorry everyone… I guess my aptitude with fire has not yet reached an adequate proficiency to control a spell of that size. I'll keep working."

The group knew Max's tendency to use needlessly complicated vocabulary when he was uncomfortable and could hear the masked shame in the grandiose verbiage.

Nino slapped a hand on his back, causing the short-statured gnome to pitch forward a bit with the impact. "For the record," the bard said with a grin, "I'm downright impressed! That was _crazy_ powerful! You just made a freaking sun! We're proud of you, man."

The rest of the group nodded in agreement, and Max smiled. "Thanks you guys. But still… what do we do now? If I can't…."

In one fluid motion, Alya drew an arrow, notched it, drew back, and sent it flying into the darkness. It notched itself into a far wall with a _Thuck!_ A beat passed as the group waited.

"Well, I'm out," she said with a shrug.

Max laughed, the tension he had been holding since interrupting Marinette and Adrien's private moment finally easing away as it struck him that these people were his friends. He didn't have to impress them. They were just playing a game together and, inexplicably, he was _enjoying_ himself. _Kim would be proud._

"Well…." Nino drawled. "I think it might be time for some professional hero help, and unless Chat Noir wants to risk being eaten by shadows by touching them in hopes of getting off a Cataclysm in time…."

All eyes shifted to Marinette. Nino's were encouraging, Max's hopeful, Alya's glittered with excitement, and Adrien's… Adrien's were full of unspoken declarations of adoration, of partnership, of unyielding loyalty… and that now-familiar glint. The shard of _I cannot… I will not lose you._ A promise and a danger. She only realized now that the same glimmer had always shone in Chat's eyes when he looked at Ladybug. Alya had been right: she and her Chaton had always loved each other. Erecting false walls between them in the forms of masks and professionalism hadn't prevented Chat from acting on his love for Ladybug, even when it would potentially cost him his life. She wondered if, subconsciously, she had always recognized it, and that's why she had been so fervently insistent on keeping things platonic between the heroes (knowing full well it could never be) but pining over Adrien (the 'safer' version of the love she, deep down, recognized as her hero)? Had she been in _denial_?

"Well?" Alya encouraged.

"Huh?" Marinette's thoughts were in a jumbled knot of Adrien, love, Chat, danger, responsibility, and destiny.

"Will you transform with Tikki?! C'mon I've been dying to see it!" her best friend asked eagerly.

Marinette smiled. _Typical Alya._ Some things are the same no matter what world you put them in.

"I guess it's really our only choice. Tikki, spots on!"

* * *

 _A/N: It's tiiiime! The moment you've all been waiting for: Ladybug revealed! But you know I can't resist the urge to fluff :3_


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